Why we cheat and not entirely unrelated to cheating you have former governor mark sanford sitting down with piers morgan tonight. Hes Just Announced hes running for congress. Dont miss it tonight. Thats it for me. Be back here at the same time tomorrow. Im brooke baldwin. Lets go to wolf blitzer in the situation room. Breaking news the fate of american captives in an engineer yeah clouded in chaos. An operation to free the foreign hostages has reportedly ended amid word that some were forced to wear explosive vests. A star Football Player says hes the victim of a sick joke but some taken in by the joke say manti teo has some explaining to do about his dead girlfriend who never existed. And president obama will take the oath of office on the same bible that Abraham Lincoln used. Well give you a close look at this extraordinary piece of american history. Im wolf blitzer. Youre in the situation room. Lets begin this hour with the breaking news. Algerias official news agency has Just Announced the end of a rescue operation aimed at freeing hostages including americans held by islamic militants. U. S. Government officials tell cnn that may not necessarily, though be the case. Lets get straight to our pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence working this story for us. Chris, be what is the very latest that youre hearing . Wolf, the latest that were getting from u. S. Officials is that some americans may have escaped but some may still be held by those hostage takers and they are still seeing signs perhaps of some intermittent fighting suggesting that perhaps this isnt over yet. As the hostage situation stretched to a second day, u. S. Officials scrambled to find a resolution and determine the state of the Americans Still in militant hands. This incident will be resolved, we hope with a minimum loss of life. But when you deal with these relentless terrorists, life is not in any way precious to them. Americans and other western workers were on as about when multiple militants attacked. The militants took hostage at this gas plant heavily armed with rocket grenades and forced some hostages to wear explosive vests. The militants may have tried to move their hostages. With the intention of leaving for a neighboring country, they would use the hostages as a means of blackmail with a criminal intent. Some hostages escaped, others were killed or wounded or unaccounted for. Translator there were a number of dead and injured. We dont have a final figure. But why did the algerians go in when they did . Former Homeland Security adviser Fran Townsend said the u. S. Would typically try to use surveillance and map the area in detail before launching a military assault. The western way is to collect as much intelligence as you can to engage in a potential negotiation to see if you can peacefully resolve it without putting the hostages at risk. But the algerians have fought a long, bloody battle with militants for years. They have little patience for terrorists and kidnappers of this kind and are going to want to nip it in the bud and a show of strength that this is not going to be tolerated. British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron suggested that the british and his government would have liked to have been consulted before this assault by the algerian forces and indicated that the british were only told after the assault had already begun. As to the hostages heres what we know. An irish hostage has been freed. His family has been talking and the Irish Government has confirmed that. The algerian forces say they helped free two british hostages, a frenchman, and a kenyan but the ultimate fate of those americans, wolf, were still trying to determine. Do officials at the pentagon or elsewhere offering assessment about algeria special operations capabilities and undertaking a mission like this . Wolf, the algerians have been in a belong bloody battle and they have a Good Relationship with the algerians with the head of Africa Command carter ham had been to algeria a number of times and incapable because of all of the interactions and fights that they had with the militants but, again, u. S. Forces would have taken in the same situation but the u. S. Forces had to respect the fact that this happened on algerian soil. They ultimately make the call. Right near the libyan boshder. We dont know how close to the libyan border that proximity may have created for these terrorists to undertake an operation like this. Chris lawrence at the pentagon i know this is a fast moving story. Youll update us with information as it comes in. Meanwhile, jaws dropped across the country when people learned the heartbreaking and well publicized death of a College Football stars girlfriend. They learned that it never happened, that the girlfriend never even existed. Notre dames manti teo says he was the victim of a sick joke but as more details new emerge about this hoax more questions are now being asked. Cnns ted rowlands is joining us from notre dames campus. What is the latest, ted, that youre getting . Reporter well, wolf, frankly, there was a lot of anticipation that manti teo would break his silence and go public with his side of the story today. However, as far as we have heard now, he has said nothing. This Twitter Photo is manti teo at the img academy where he is training for the nfl draft and likely also taking refuge. Pressure continues to mount for teo to explain the inconsistencies between the very public death of his fake girlfriend and the statement that he never actually met her. During the football season, the story of this linebacker enduring the death of his girlfriend and grandmother on the same day transcended sports. People from around the world were touched by how in love teo seemed to be with lennay kekua, the girl he called his soulmate. I cried. I yelled. Never felt that way before. This is six hours ago i just found out my grandma passed away and you take, you know, the love of my life. Reporter on the day of his girlfriends supposed funeral, teo played football and after the game brian kelly actually awarded the game ball to the girl we now know doesnt exist. I want to award this game ball to lennay. And id like manti to have this ball to take back to hawaii. I am as confused as i think a lot of people are right now. Reporter Sports Reporter eric hansen has spent the last four years writing about manti teo. In october, he wrote this article detailing the couples first meeting after a Football Game against stanford. I would think if there was a mistake in the story they would have brought it to my attention. Reporter the story has romantic details of teo and his fictitious girlfriend catching his eye and making a connection. Hansen says he got the story from teos father. He still has a recording of the interview. Maybe manti, you know, being in an online relationship was a little embarrassed and embellished the story to his father a little bit and his father was telling what manti had told him. Reporter he allowed us to listen to the recording but wont allow us to broadcast it. Clearly, his father thinks his son met the girl friend in 2009 and spent considerable time with her after that. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt at this point and i want to hear from them before i form the last picture on this. Reporter wolf espn tweeted that they were about ready to sit down for an interview with manti teo. Then a few hours later he tweeted that the interview had been canceled. A lot of questions still from manti teo when and if he decides to come public. Even as we speak they are sticking by manti teo, is that right . Reporter absolutely. The Athletic Director here said he sat down with him for an hour and a half in one session and another hour the next day. He said after listening to this young man he absolutely believes that he was nothing more than a victim. What a story. Much more coming up in the situation room. Ted, thank you. A day after president obama announced his gun proposals the lines are drawn. Vice President Biden says hes under no illusions of what is going on. He met with many of americas mayors and made a very emotional call for action. Athena jones is joining us from the white house. Looks like a start of a Major Campaign to get gun control legislation through congress, athena. Reporter exactly. Its a Major Campaign and vice President Bidens speech before those mayors is to win public support for the gun proposals. Leading that task force to come up with some of the proposals that he talked about yesterday and so its really no surprise to see him out pushing this again today. Lets listen to a little bit about what he had to say to the mayors. If we speak for those we lost, we speak for our children and our families, if we have the courage to do what we know is the right thing to do then well have the most powerful voice. And we you, our citizens will change the nation. Ive been in this fight a long time. I have no illusions about the fight that is in front of us. I have no illusions about the distortions that will come from all sides. But i know full well the political obstacles that will be thrown up against us are not unpenetrate table. Reporter vice President Biden was highlighting something that the president himself brought up. He can take executive action on some of these, like requiring federal agencies to provide more information for background checks but hes going to need congressional things for things like banning highcapacity magazines or putting new restrictions on semiautomatic weapons. We know there is a lot of resistance, certainly from republicans in congress so far. And so part of this effort to try to win support in congress to get support on capitol hill, the white house is reaching out to supporters saying that they should speak out to the representatives about guns and the old Campaign Obama for america is going to kick off as well. Jim mess seen na is already emailing reporters asking can them to stand by him in this political fight. Wolf . Athena jones, thank you very much. Much more on this story also coming up. So how do you ban a weapon that may not even have a clearcut name or definition . Were taking a closer look at the confusion surrounding some of these gun control proposals and what tone will the president take in his second term inaugural address . Were going to hear from two former white house speechwriters. Stand by. Stress sweat. It can happen any time, to anyone stress sweat is different than ordinary sweat. It smells worse. Get 4x the protection against stress sweat. Introducing new secret clinical strength stress response scent. [ male announcer ] in blind taste tests, even ragu users chose prego. Prego . but ive bought ragu for years. [ thinking ] wonder what other questionable choices ive made . I choose date number 2 whooo [ sigh of relief ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. Choose prego. When it comes to the president s plan for controlling gun violence, the devils in the definitions. Aside from all of the political obstacles, how do you go about banning a weapon that may not have a clearcut name . Joe johns has been looking into this part of the story for us. Its getting a little complicated. So explain what youre finding out, joe. Wolf, its being called the biggest push in a generation on gun control but a lot of the ideas the president put forth yesterday has been kicked around since the 1990s and frankly in a lot of ways its not clear what the white house wants to do and how they want to do it. The president s gun safety proposals sound ambitious but policywise its difficult to assess without more details, starting with this. Restore a ban on militarystyle assault weapons and a tenround limit for magazines. Which would be illegal is impossible to know until the white house defines assault weapon. When a ban passed in 1994 it came down to what it looked like. For example, do they have folding or telescoping stocks and grips and so on. Officials admit it was far from perfect. It was hard to enforce it. As a result many people did that and, you know he have vaded the law. Will only manufacturers be banned from making them or will the distribution and ownership also be banned . Then theres this. Require a universal background check for anyone trying to buy a gun. It may be politically doable but problematic from a policy standpoint. Right now about two dozen states dont contribute to the federal Background Check Program on a regular basis and expanding to all private sales is a huge challenge, even if the government sets up an online application. To try and regulate that portion over the internet could be extremely difficult and complicated at best. Another can of worms is preventing the mentally ill from buying guns. Right now a court or a judge has to rule that a person is mentally defective before its reported to the background check system. The question is, whether a lot of people with serious issues who shouldnt qualify are still able to get guns. Many people do not go through the core process for any type of process for seeking Mental Health treatment or resources. Now you are relying on them to answer that question and they could tell you the truth or not tell you the truth. But changing the criteria could have unintended consequences like discouraging people from getting treatment. We want to make sure people who need help dont get treatment but also block them from getting the services they need for Mental Health. The president talked about only the tip of this iceberg. We will make sure Mental Health professionals know their options for reporting threats of violence. Senior Administration Officials told reporters they dont plan to go after existing guns and magazines, meaning anything owned before a ban is put in place would actually get grandfathered in. Everything is subject to change once negotiations start with congress. Dianne feinstein is expected to be introduced as early as next week. Wolf . Well see what happens in the senate, if it gets through the senate, and then what happens in the house. Thanks very much, joe for that. Lets see what happens next in the administrations push to crack down on violence. Gloria it looks like its almost a Political Campaign emerging on both sides. For example, jim messina, in charge of the Obama Reelection Campaign puts out a letter, among other things, saying take a look at the president s plan to reduce gun violence and stand with him in support. Wayne lapierre executive Vice President of the nra issues a fundraising letter saying this. I warned you this day was coming and now its here. Its not about protecting your children. Its not about stopping crime. Its about banning your guns period. So what are we seeing here . A real Political Campaign. On the one side you have the Grassroots Organization that the obama for america team use. Now, they cant coordinate with the white house, wolf, on this, but they are using all of their apparatus to get out their grass root supporters because what they are trying to do is mobilize voters in much the same way that the nra has done over the years, which is make people who are for some kind of gun regulation, single issue voters and come out and pressure members of congress who may be wavering in gun states and say to them, you know, we want something done. On the other side is the nra which has a huge Grassroots Organization. They are trying to mobilize their own voters. You saw that email. We spoke yesterday about this provocative ad talking about the president s children are protected by people who bear arms. So you can be sure that the nra is going to continue to be just as aggressive as the obama supporters on all of this. You know, the reaction from republicans to what the president did yesterday, signing 23 executive orders if you will has been very intense. Rick perry, the republican governor of texas saying this. The Second Amendment to the constitution is a basic right of free people and cannot nor will it be abridged by the executive power of this or any other president. At least so far, were not seeing a whole lot of opportunity for real substantive negotiations. No. And, of course, rick perry is a governor that once suggested that texas secede from the union and ran for the presidency himself. Wolf whark were hearing is a lot of Second Amendment talk the president want to take away your guns. Theres also talk among republicans that an assault weapons ban will not be effective, that it would not have solved the are problem, for example n. Newtown. So theres talk of taking that off the table. Where there does seem to be some kind of coalescing is closing the gun show loophole, making universal background checks required for gun owners. If i had to guess, i would say that is the one area that you could see people come together on. When i interviewed david keene, the president of the nra dint see him show any flexibility on that specific issue. No. Because right now, wolf there is absolutely no meeting of the minds. These are these two bohemisis steaking out their positions and theres no reason to compromise until the end of the process. The president and Vice President have work to do with fellow democrats. They do. You look at harry reid from nevada, its clear hes not going to take the lead on this in the senate. He will leave that to his chief lieutenant. Today we had pat leahy come out and he said quote we will pass what we can get. That doesnt mean that sure doesnt sound to me like he believes the president s entire package is going to get through. There are also senators democrats up for reelection in gun states like montana louisiana, south dakota. So those are real issues for the president because, of course, the