Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Winning Strategy in Afghanistan; Fallout From an Affair; Afghan War Assessment

Aired October 06, 2009 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And time now for your top-of-the-hour reset. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It is noon in Washington, where President Obama's getting input on his Afghan war strategy today. He will hear from both Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress on the way forward.

And you will hear credit card outrage. Chase almost triples monthly payments for some of its best customers.

Let's get started. Let's begin with Afghanistan.

The war enters its ninth year tomorrow with a commander-in-chief who inherited the fight trying to decide how to end it. Today, President Obama will get advice on a winning strategy from his former colleagues on Capitol Hill.

Let's talk about this with our Dan Lothian, at the White House, and Atia Abawi in Kabul.

And a question for each of you.

Dan, let me start with you. Today's meeting is one of a handful the president is having this week on this topic. What's the goal for today's meeting?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the goal really is to just hear from these lawmakers on any ideas that they might have in going forward in Afghanistan. I'm told by a senior administration official that the president will make a presentation, essentially pointing out to these lawmakers where the administration currently is in the process of making the decision of whether or not to send in additional troops.

Then after that, the president will take some Q&A from these lawmakers, open to dissenting opinions. And as you know, Tony, there are some lawmakers, Democrats in particular, who don't want to see more U.S. troops sent into Afghanistan. So this, no doubt, will be part of the discussion, whether to send in additional troops or whether to ramp things down and use a more targeted approach, something that the vice president favors -- Tony.

HARRIS: Dan, appreciate it. And stand by for just a second.

Let's go to Atia Abawi in Kabul. I'm always interested in having the pulse of the Afghan people and Afghan leaders to what the U.S. is discussing now by way of efforts to come up with a strategy for their country.

Atia, what are you hearing?

ATIA ABAWI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'll tell you right now, the Afghan government does say that this discussion at the moment that's been going on for a while now -- General Stanley McChrystal put it in his assessment at the end of August -- has many in Afghanistan wondering what exactly is going on, if the international community is going to leave Afghanistan, although the government in Afghanistan knows right now that the international community won't leave right away.

The defense minister here, Rahim Wardak, has reiterated his point that he needs more troops. He says that Afghanistan right now does not have the troop level, and he says, for that matter, the ISAF troop level isn't sufficient to actually bring security and stability in Afghanistan.

Let's listen to what he has to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDUL RAHIM WARDAK, AFGHAN DEFENSE MINISTER: The enemy strategy has focused on weakening the will of the international community. And what I'm seeing today, that some people talk about an exit strategy or a date for the withdrawal of their forces, it is exactly what the enemy have planned for. This is why they have not given up since 2002. And all their preparation is based on that assumption.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABAWI: Tony, although we did have the deadliest summer when it comes to coalition casualties in Afghanistan, when we spoke to a senior international diplomatic source here, he told me that the enemy as well has suffered heavy, heavy casualties. But, at the moment, obviously, the Taliban are playing it very confidently at the moment.

They are using their PR. They have their own spokespeople talking to the Afghan media, to the international media, saying that they won't back down. And right now, they are having a bit of a confidence high at the moment -- Tony.

HARRIS: All right, Atia. Thank you.

Let's turn back to Dan Lothian at the White House.

And Dan, a difficult decision for the president. And as the deliberative process plays out, the president is getting some heat, and it's showing up right at his front door.

LOTHIAN: It really is. We saw some protesters here at the White House yesterday outside the gates led by Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq in 2004. About 60 or so protesters were arrested. And, you know, just a few minutes ago, we heard them out there again with megaphones, calling on this administration to pull out of Afghanistan.

What's interesting is that, you know, Tony, you look back to the campaign, the president, ,when he was making his campaign promises, he talked about getting out of Iraq, but ramping up in Afghanistan. But -- and that's what a lot of these folks supported. But now, there's this sense that additional troops should not be sent into Afghanistan, and I think part of what is driving that are these news reports that we're seeing of the deaths of U.S. soldiers over there, and that's giving a lot of people pause, and so these anti-war protesters really ramping things up -- Tony.

HARRIS: All right. Dan Lothian for us at the White House. And our thanks to Atia Abawi in Kabul, Afghanistan.

We want to hear from you, your thoughts on the U.S. war in Afghanistan and where the U.S. should go from here. Give us a call. Yes, let's do it. Give us a call. Let's talk about it, 1-877-742- 5760.

Leave us a message. We will play some of your comments live in the CNN NEWSROOM. That number again is 1-877-742-5760.

You know, one thing appears certain, U.S. troops are in Afghanistan for the long haul. That word from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The two appeared in a rare joint interview at George Washington University, co-hosted by CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, HOST, "AMANPOUR": Do you think you can win there, both of you? I'd like to know whether you think you can win.

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, I think, Christiane, what we're looking at as we meet to advise the president is, what do we need to do in Afghanistan and Pakistan? Because we see the region as the area of concern that will, you know, promote American interests and values, protect our country, as well as the allies and other interests that we have around the world. So, I think it's a very thoughtful analysis about, what is it we need to do?

And, you know, we're trying to look at it from ground up and make sure that we're examining every assumption, because what's important is at the end of the day, the president makes a decision that he believes in, that he thinks is going to further our core objectives of, you know, protecting our country, preventing attacks on us, trying to protect our interest and our allies. And that's what we're attempting to do.

AMANPOUR: Secretary Gates, the majority of the American people believe that America can win in Afghanistan. Do you think America can win in Afghanistan? ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, from the time I took this job, I have tried, both in Iraq and Afghanistan, to avoid terms like "winning" and "losing," because they become very loaded in our domestic debate, but they also become loaded around the world. I think the key thing is to establish what our objectives are, and can we achieve our objectives? And the answer to that question is, absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: That exclusive interview with Gates and Clinton was also co-hosted by CNN's Frank Sesno. He will join me live in just a few minutes.

And three hours from now, you can watch the CNN exclusive Gates/Clinton interview in its entirety. Our Christiane Amanpour bringing you a special edition of "AMANPOUR," "Power and Persuasion." That's at 3:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN.

North Korea is apparently ready to get back to six-party talks on nuclear disarmament. But first, it wants one-on-one talks with the United States. That's according to China's official news agency. It comes as China's premier wraps up a high-profile visit to Pyongyang. The reclusive nation withdrew from international talks after conducting a rocket test in April and a nuclear test in May.

Health care reform runs into a delay on Capitol Hill. The Senate Finance Committee had hoped to vote on its reform bill as early as today, but a cost analysis by the Congressional Budget Office isn't ready just yet. Our congressional correspondents will be following any developments on the Hill. Senate Finance is the last committee to finish writing its health reform legislation.

A senator is facing renewed criticism in the fallout over an extramarital affair. A preliminary ethics investigation is under way into whether Senator John Ensign improperly used his influence.

Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash caught up with the senator just moments ago, and she joins us live.

And Dana, a couple of questions here.

What's involved here in this investigation? And I'm curious as to whether or not the senator is even responding to you, to questions on the news of this investigation.

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he is to a point. I think the backstory here is important for our viewers. And that is that John Ensign was a member of the Republican leadership, they probably remember, up until a couple of months ago, when he resigned because of the fact that he was having an affair with the wife of his then aide.

Well, he had been laying low, Tony, and back to work until this past Friday, when "The New York Times" had an explosive interview -- article, I should say. And what they basically alleged was that Senator Ensign trying to cover up the affair. And by doing that, he tried to contain the damage by getting a job for the husband of the woman he was having an affair with by effectively getting him lobbying jobs.

Well, that is something that could not only break the rules in the Senate, ethic rules, but also potentially break the law. So, that's the backstory here, and that's why he is potentially in such hot water.

He has not talked at all since this came out on Friday, but my partner here, Ted Barrett, our congressional producer, and I stood outside his office and we caught up with him, and we asked him about it.

Listen to what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. JOHN ENSIGN (R), NEVADA: You can just see our statements on that. I think -- I think it's pretty clear.

I said in the past, I recommended him for jobs, just like I've recommended a lot of people. But we absolutely did nothing except for comply exactly with what the ethics laws and the ethics rules of the Senate state. We were very careful in everything that we did, and you can see our statements on that.

BASH: Do you have any indication that the Justice Department is gong to investigate?

ENSIGN: We only plan on -- we are going to cooperate with any official inquiries. But as you all know, you can't comment on any of this stuff, on any of those kinds of things.

BASH: Well, you can tell us if you've gotten any calls from the Justice Department or your lawyer has.

ENSIGN: Let me state this very carefully. We will cooperate with any official inquiry. OK?

TED BARRETT, CNN CONGRESSIONAL PRODUCER: Senator, "The New York Times" shows e-mails in the documentation that you had meetings with Allegiant Air and NV Energy, and intervened on their behalf, on specific items that they needed help with. And Doug Hampton represented them.

Now, do you deny that that is the case?

ENSIGN: All of these things will, you know, come out. All of these things will come out at their due time. But there's no question, we complied with all of the ethics...

BARRETT: But you had contact with him in the one year he was working for you, right?

ENSIGN: We complied with all of the ethics rules. Remember, just like, you know, we -- senators who leave, they have a two-year. It doesn't mean you don't talk to them. You can talk to anybody.

BARRETT: But not about clients and not about matters that they're lobbying for.

ENSIGN: Oh, I never met with Doug Hampton about any of that stuff.

BARRETT: But your staff did.

BASH: Senator, why was it so important to get Doug Hampton those jobs?

ENSIGN: Just look at our statements. Just look at our statements. It's very clear on that. OK?

BASH: Is there any chance -- is there any chance that you -- are you considering resigning?

ENSIGN: I am focused on doing my work. And I'm going to continue to focus on doing my work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: Not answering that question about whether he's considering resigning, Tony, but you saw he was heading towards the Capitol to do what he said he was going to do, which is focus on his work.

Another interesting tidbit in terms of the political fallout from this, on Friday the Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, notably did not defend him, and other Republicans have declined to say anything positive or negative about Senator Ensign. He said he doesn't really have a problem with that.

So, he is saying he did nothing wrong. He's going to let this play out.

HARRIS: Yes, he's squeezed here, though. Yes.

BASH: But he is, and this is the first time we have really heard from him since this explosive article time out on Friday -- Tony.

HARRIS: And I think you asked one of the key questions, and it cuts right to perceptions, and it's why was it so important for you to get this man a job given all that surrounds this man? I think that's one of the key questions, and he's a little squeezed on that.

BASH: It is and, you know, if you read the very lengthy article, the long investigation that "The New York Times" did which came out on Friday, the way it details the reason for that is because -- I mean, it sounds like a soap opera, but it's true, Senator Ensign was having an affair with his wife. And it was no longer practical for this man to be on Senator Ensign's staff.

So, they were trying to find him a "soft landing," according to the article. And that's why he allegedly tried to find him jobs that, again, according to The Times, could have potentially broken the law -- the rules here and potentially the law, because they were doing work for people in Nevada that required his help.

HARRIS: And, look, maybe he can explain it, but he's in a bit of a tight spot here.

Our senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash for us.

Dana, appreciate it. Thank you.

And for more insight into what President Obama's secretaries of State and Defense are saying about U.S. policy in Afghanistan, I'm going to speak to a man who took part in yesterday's exclusive conversation. And what a conversation it was.

We'll speak with Frank Sesno next, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The future of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan spelled out by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Their rare, joint interview co-hosted by CNN's Christiane Amanpour and Frank Sesno.

Frank, joining me live now from George Washington University, site of the exclusive CNN interview.

Frank, it's good to see you.

FRANK SESNO, FORMER CNN WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF: Good to see you, Tony. Thanks.

HARRIS: Well, look, I really want to pay this off because this is smart television. Some folks, you know, call it broccoli sometimes, but it is smart, it is necessary, and we're so happy that this took place.

Look, this is, my understanding, the latest conversation in a series hosted by your university there, George Washington's School of Media and Public Affairs, and it is a department that you lead as director.

You and Christiane Amanpour -- wow -- interviewing Secretaries Gates and Clinton, Defense and State in the same room. A quick process question here.

How difficult was it to get these two leaders, as busy as they are right now, to sit for this conversation?

SESNO: It wasn't easy. And they haven't done this before. But this was -- this process actually -- product of several months worth of work, talking to them and to their officials. I don't think they intended or had any way of knowing that they'd be in the middle of this incredible, intense review over at the White House over the mission in Afghanistan, which became a large part of what we discussed. But they do, together, are trying to kind of redirect how American foreign policy is shaped, and the balance between civilian and military, the so-called tools in the toolbox.

HARRIS: Yes.

SESNO: As Gates said last night, it would be nice to have something other than hammers in the toolbox.

HARRIS: Right. Right. Right.

SESNO: So, it wasn't easy to do, but I think it was very significant that they were there. And I think it's a forceful signal to the world as to what this is all about.

HARRIS: OK. Some of the substance now.

Do the secretaries defend the pace of the ongoing review? Some Republicans, as you know, have criticized the president's process as too time consuming when, in their view, a decision was needed yesterday.

SESNO: I think the timing is very important. And you're right, the secretaries both were at pains to say that this is something that should happen. They endorse the process.

I think what's important is that they, especially Secretary Gates, left little doubt that this is sort of the either/or choice that it's been portrayed as being in some quarters. That is, more troops going in or the United States leaves. And, in fact, I thought he was emphatic in a couple of places saying that the United States is not going to end its commitment, is not going to turn its back on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He said that the violence is up and the Taliban has been making progress, said that the problem in the region has been for too few troops in the past. And so, while he didn't tip the hand as to where the debate inside the White House, the administration, is going, his commitment or his expression of American commitment to the region was actually quite firm.

HARRIS: Yes.

Frank, General Stanley McChrystal, who leads the U.S. effort, the war effort in Afghanistan, has been criticized, as you know, as challenging -- some are using that word -- challenging the president to endorse his view of Afghan strategy and resourcing, the war effort.

Did the secretaries address the public expressions of General McChrystal?

SESNO: Said he wasn't trying to muzzle him with his comments yesterday, that the advice to the president, both from civilians and military, should be candid. Said that he didn't want him to go up to Capitol Hill and have to face Congress until this review is over, was emphatic about that. And said he was his choice. So, he endorsed McChrystal as his lead general in the area, protected him in terms of how he wanted him to go out in front of the Congress and elsewhere. So, any suggestion that he was muzzling him, which is certainly how some could have read his comments yesterday, at least was balanced by this endorsement of him on the other hand. I think, clearly, Gates would like less focus and less bright lights on the particulars of this conversation right now.

HARRIS: And in just a couple of moments, we're going to get to the president's comments this morning. He's talking national security at the National Counterterrorism Center.

I want to see if I can squeeze another one in here.

I know there can be a lot of nuance in these decisions, and we don't know everything that informs a particular decision. But if Secretary Gates is saying we're staying in Afghanistan, and the NATO secretary-general says we're staying in Afghanistan, then doesn't the debate come down to mission and resources?

SESNO: Mission, resources, what the end state or the ultimate goal is, and how you calibrate those. That's the key, really, Tony, I think, here to be watching for, is the calibration.

It's not this either/or decision. It's not either there's counterinsurgency or there's counterterrorism, either you put in 40,000 or you leave. And I think that's probably what we're seeing take place, as well as calibration within all that as to what's going to be asked or demanded of the Afghan government, of the allies, of the Pakistanis, that want to have this as a regional approach. So, it's a very complicated discussion that's really about calibration, I think.

HARRIS: Yes. And Frank, when we have a little bit more time, because I guess we're just seconds away from the president's remarks at the National Counterterrorism Center, I want to talk about the distinction between anti-insurgency strategy and counterterrorism. But, Frank, I appreciate it. Thank you so much.

And let's quickly get you to the president.

SESNO: OK, Tony.

(APPLAUSE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, guys. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Mike, for the introduction.

Usually it's Mike who comes to brief me at the White House. Today, it's my honor to visit you in your house.

I was just told this is called the bat cave. Is that correct?

Mike, thank you for your many years of public service and your outstanding leadership at the National Counterterrorism Center.

It is great to be with all of you. It is great to be here at the hub, at the headquarters of our efforts to defend America from those who threaten our country and so many others.

Our intelligence community is comprised of 16 organizations. We have countless federal and state and local and international partners, and this is where it has to all come together. So, I'm pleased to see Denny Blair and those of you from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

We have folks here from the FBI and the CIA. We have folks from across the federal government -- intelligence, law enforcement, Homeland Security and so many others. My understanding is we've even got some of New York's finest, NYPD folks who are here.

Standing together and serving together, it's clear for all to see that you are one team, that you are more integrated and more collaborative and more effective than ever before. And you're focused on one defining mission, and that is to protect the United States of America in thwarting terrorist attacks around the world.

Now, I just received an extraordinary briefing from some of your colleagues. I have to tell you, I was surprised to see how young everybody is around here. It is a sign of my age that everybody is starting to look young. But the capacity and the dedication that's on display was remarkable.

And, look, all of you have some of the most important work that is done in this country. You're doing it. These big screens, I understand, are not just to watch Sportscenter.

But I wanted to come here today and take a few minutes just to deliver a simple message. And I've delivered it inside, and that is the message of thanks, to say thank you from me, who use your product each and every day to make some very tough decisions, and to thank you on behalf of the American people, who may not even know that you're here, but are relying on you each and every day to make sure that their kids get home safely, and that when they commute to work, it's going to be OK.

To think about the profound impact that all of you are having on the day-to-day life of this nation I think is extraordinary. Your professionalism is essential to protecting this country.

Now, we recently observed the eighth anniversary of that terrible day when terrorists brought so much death and destruction to our shores. And once more, we remembered all the lives that were lost. And once more, we redoubled our resolve against the extremists who continue to plot against the United States and our allies.

And so we need you more than ever. Our troops and our intelligence officers in the field, our diplomats overseas, our law enforcement here at home, they all depend on you, your analysis, your insights, your ability to work together across divisions and disciplines, turning information into intelligence and sharing it quickly in real time with those who need it.

As I said before, I am one of those consumers of your work product here at NCTC. Every morning I look to you for the latest intelligence. In fact, I think so highly of NCTC, that I picked the guy who put NCTC together, John Brennan, as my chief adviser for counterterrorism and homeland security. And by the way, John Brennan is here, and doing an outstanding job each and every day.

He is also, by the way, I think, responsible for getting this spiffy building up and running. So...

Now, again, a lot of you are working in some obscurity right now. Few Americans know about the work that you do, and this is how it should be.

Your assignments require it, and obviously you didn't go into this line of work for the fame and glory, or the glare of the spotlight. You're in it to serve and protect. But today I want every American to know about the difference you've made, especially in recent months and days.

Because of you and all the organizations you represent, we're making real progress in our core mission, to disrupt and dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and other extremist networks around the world. We must never lose sight of that goal. That's the principal threat to the American people, that is the threat that led to the creation of this center, and that must be the focus of our efforts to defend the homeland and our allies and defeat extremists abroad.

We know that al Qaeda and extremist allies threaten us from different corners of the globe, from Pakistan, but also from East Africa and Southeast Asia, from Europe and the Gulf. And that's why we're applying focused and relentless pressure on al Qaeda by sharing more intelligence, strengthening the capacity of our partners, disrupting terrorists' financing, cutting off supply chains, and inflicting major losses on al Qaeda's leadership.

It should now be clear, the United States and our partners have sent an unmistakable message -- we will target al Qaeda wherever they take root. We will not yield in our pursuit. And we are developing the capacity and the cooperation to deny a safe haven to any who threaten America and its allies.

We also know that success against al Qaeda must go beyond destroying their network. It must be about the future that we want to build as well, and that's why we're putting forward a positive vision of American leadership around the world, one where we lead by example and engage nations and peoples on the basis of mutual interests and mutual respect.

As one counterterrorism expert recently observed, because of our efforts, al Qaeda and its allies have not only lost operational capacity, they've lost legitimacy and credibility. Of course, nobody does a better job of discrediting al Qaeda than al Qaeda itself, which has killed men and woman and children of many faiths in many nations and which has absolutely no positive future to offer the people of the world.

So even as we target al Qaeda and its bankrupt vision, we also know that we have to be vigilant in defending our people at home. That takes aggressive intelligence collection and skillful analysis and that demands the effective and efficient coordination between federal government and our state and local partners. And that's what we've seen from you in recent years.

We've seen your success here in America in the last several weeks. You've stayed vigilant. You watched for signs. You stitched together the intelligence. You worked together across organizations as one team, and then arrests in Denver and New York and still more in Illinois and Texas have made us safer.

So, I say to every American, you see the headlines. But here are some of the people who help write them, who keep you safe. And I say to all of you, you are setting the standard. You're showing us what focused and integrated counterterrorism really looks like. And the record of your service is written in the attacks that never occur because you thwarted them. And in the countless Americans who are alive today because you saved them. For that, America's in your debt.

Of course, you know that we're facing determined adversaries who are resourceful, who are resilient and who are still plotting. And no one can ever promise that there won't be another attack on American soil. But I can promise you this -- I pledge to do everything in my power as president to keep America safe, and I pledge to give all of you the tools and support you need to get the job done around the world and here at home.

I pledge to stay focused on that mission, just as you stay focused on your mission. So, we all have to redouble our efforts in the face of a threat that persists. We're going to have to draw strength from the values that we hold dear. We must keep our eye fixed on the world we seek to build, one that defeats our adversaries, but that also promotes dignity and opportunity and justice for all who stand with us.

To do that, we need you to keep standing and serving together, every agency, every department, every branch, every level, one team, one mission. That's how we're going to prevail in this fight, and that's how we're going to protect this country that we all love. So, thanks to all of you. Continue the outstanding work. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much.

HARRIS: President Obama giving a pep talk to the eyes and ears of our national security apparatus. The president emphasizing how much we depend on their work done in obscurity to keep us safe -- the president's remarks at the National Counterterrorism Center.

Another reminder here to watch the CNN exclusive, Gates/Clinton interview in its entirety. Our Christiane Amanpour bringing you a special edition of "Amanpour: Power and Persuasion." That's at 3 p.m. Eastern on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: Boy, take a look at this video, pretty impressive, quite the show. A flock of Blackhawk helicopters took off in formation today from the Arizona desert. The choppers will be sent to Iraq along with an assault battalion from the Arizona National Guard. The Blackhawks land today at Ft. Till, Oklahoma. Troops will undergo more training before deploying to Iraq.

Afghanistan war strategy on the table at the White House. About an hour from now, President Obama hosts leading Republican and Democratic members of Congress. He is considering more troops for Afghanistan.

A Taliban attack this weekend killed eight U.S. service members. Defense Secretary Gates admits the Taliban has the momentum right now.

Recently I spoke with a college student who's gone to Afghanistan twice with the army's special forces unit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: What was your experience like in Afghanistan?

LACEY ENYART, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY: It was -- it's a tough war. It's a tough conflict. I mean, it's heartbreaking. It's sad losing your friends. It's hard when you see a nation full of people who can't feed themselves because there's no infrastructure and there's no -- there's no light at the end of the tunnel where they see, like, something's going to get better.

But at the same time, like, the reason we're over there is to protect the American citizens and to not allow al Qaeda and terrorists to train there. And that's what our focus is. So, when I look at it, it's, like, yes, we need to eliminate the enemy. Yes, we need to be offensive. But as far as the Afghan people go, you have to build them up, too. The problem with the counterinsurgency is that it takes time and it's hard. And at the end of the day, it's just hard. And so in order to protect our country, it's -- it's something we have to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Another smart group of young people. You will hear more of their comments on the war in Afghanistan and health care and a couple of other topics when "Class in Session" returns next week.

Has your credit card company done something lately to trigger a little outrage? You're not alone.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on top stories now.

The Obama administration's working swiftly on a substantial sanctions package against Iran. If current international efforts to make it stop its nuclear weapons program fails, the sanctions will serve as a warning to Iran that it faces serious costs if it ignores international demands, but they say the United States will be mindful of actions that would harm the Iranian people.

Police used pepper spray and water cannons to break up a crowd of angry protesters in Turkey, where the International Monetary Fund is holding its annual meeting to fight poverty. A McDonald's restaurant and several banks and cars were reportedly damaged. More than 70 people have been detained.

And once again, another reminder, check out CNNMoney.com for the latest financial news and analysis. Again, CNNMoney.com. Let's get you to the New York Stock Exchange now for a look at the big board. Just past three hours into the trading day, and the Dow is up. Wow, nice little run, up 156 points. And the NASDAQ is up 39.

Credit card outrage. Some companies are raising fees, interest rates, or payments before new regulations go into effect. And millions of consumers are getting caught up in a credit card nightmare. Jessica Yellin has one couple's story, and they're not alone.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHUCK LANE, CREDIT CARD CUSTOMER: It's an injustice.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chuck and Jeanne Lane are outraged. They have excellent credit, never been late. Still, Chase credit cards jacked up their monthly payment from $370 to $911. So, Chuck Lane called the bank to complain.

(on camera): What did you tell them?

C. LANE: I told them this was the worst economic times in history practically. I work for a small company. We have laid off 30 percent of our work force. I just took a 10 percent pay cut this morning. And this is what you're going to do to us?

YELLIN (voice-over): He says he learned his credit card payments skyrocketed when he checked his online bank account.

C. LANE: And I went to my checking account so I could write down the amount that was coming out. And, lo and behold, it was $911.

YELLIN (on camera): Was that a surprise?

C. LANE: I was shocked. I was stunned.

YELLIN (voice-over): Now he feels abused.

(on camera): You thought you had a deal.

C. LANE: I did. I thought I had a really good deal.

YELLIN (voice-over): The card was sold as a low-interest way to pay down big bills. The Lanes have paid off half what have they owe, but still have more than $18,000 to go. They can't afford the new monthly payment, so Chuck Lane called to ask Chase for help. And guess what he was told? C. LANE: You want me to pay five percent more in interest...

YELLIN: He can go back to his old payment, but only if he agrees to a higher interest rate. Under the new credit card law, the Lanes will have options. But for now, they are stuck.

C. LANE: So, you're putting us into bankruptcy. I mean, I don't see how that helps me.

YELLIN: The Lanes aren't alone. In a statement to CNN, Chase says they doubled the minimum payments for a million cardholders because, "While tens of millions of Chase loans have been paid back in less than 24 months, there have been a small percentage of customers that have not made as much progress. Our desire is to have these balances paid back in a reasonable period of time."

JOE RIDOUT, CONSUMER ACTION: Truly, this is the single-most abusive credit card change in terms that I have ever seen.

YELLIN: The credit card industry insists companies are not trying to skirt the new law.

SCOTT TALBOTT, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, FINANCIAL SERVICES ROUNDTABLE: It's their desire to provide the best products to consumers always, every day, to ensure that customers have the credit they need.

YELLIN: Ensuring that Americans have affordable credit, that was one reason banks like Chase got billions in taxpayer bailout money.

(on camera): Do you think they're showing proper respect to what Americans are going through?

JEANNE LANE, CREDIT CARD CUSTOMER: No, they're not. They have no respect for the American people. All they think about is the almighty dollar for themselves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN: Some members of Congress are trying to help. They've introduced a new law that would make the credit card rules go into effect December 1st instead of February 22nd. But even if that law passes, it would still give credit card companies another two months to keep raising interest rates and doubling payments and that's little solace for Chuck and Jeanne Lane. Jessica Yellin, CNN, Washington.

HARRIS: Amazing. You know it's true every time, what goes up will come down.

A big balloon runs out of hot air and gravity wins. Wait until you see what happened before the hard landing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Caught on video. A hot air balloon spits out a passenger and then crashes minutes later with the pilot still inside. Everyone survived, but the footage is pretty incredible. Here's Dominic Garcia with CNN affiliate KOAT in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was just traumatic.

DOMINIC GARCIA, KOAT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The balloon fiesta turned to chaos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Terrible, terrible flight.

GARCIA: Russ (ph) keeps playing that scene over and over again in his mind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It just looked like a rag doll falling through the air.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The balloon just tumbled out, head over heels, just twirling to the ground.

GARCIA: You can see the top of the tent when the balloon hit. Then that passenger fell about 20 feet slamming right into this area. Right after 70-year-old Thomas Hurt (ph) was thrown from the basket, the balloon shot back up in the air with the pilot inside. Then it started to deflate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was the first frame that I actually caught.

GARCIA: KOAT chief engineer Gary Williams was on the field and caught the whole crash on tape.

GARY WILLIAMS, KOAT CHIEF ENGINGEER: And that's what I saw. And I immediately turned to the people that were on my left and right who were officials and basically said, you know, did anybody see that? By the time she hit the ground, she was not on the ground more than maybe 10 or 15 seconds before there were people were there to her aid.

GARCIA: Amazingly, the pilot walked away, but her passenger was just rushed to the hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was just going god help him, because it was just -- like I said, traumatic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Oh, OK, you know, Chad, I just figured it out on that last loop there. So, the -- the -- it actually hit the building and then tipped the passenger.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Charges have been filed against two activists accused of using Twitter accounts and cell phones to tell protesters the location of police. It allegedly happened during the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh last month. Here's CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Their confrontations with police were the most dramatic moments of the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh. We were alongside so-called political anarchists during their protest when they were gassed by police. Our CNN crew got caught up in it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your head down. Like that, side ways.

TODD: But this was also a highly charged cat-and-mouse game. Block by block police sealing off streets, protesters shifting direction, adjusting tactics.

The protesters have shifted to this service line. We don't know exactly where they're going to be going from here. Now two of the activists are charged with using cell phones and the social networking Web site Twitter to help protesters avoid getting rounded up by police.

Court documents say just a few miles from where the protests took place, police busted the two men in a hotel room where they say the men were observed sitting in front of computers and maps wearing headphones and microphones. Police scanners were in the room. But the attorney for one of the men tells CNN the scanners were not being used.

MARTIN STOLAR, ATTORNEY (on phone): To the extent that anything was broadcast about what was the police were doing or what emergency services were doing, that information came from things that the police made available on the Internet. And if that information was, then, communicated to people who were involved in the demonstrations, it's totally public information.

TODD: Martin Stolar says both men deny wrongdoing. The protest was not sanctioned but Stolar said demonstrators still had a right to be out there and his client had a right to communicate with them. The state district's attorney office wouldn't give us a comment on the case.

But the police complaint hints at one small nugget that authorities may use to go after the defendants, that they tried to direct protesters in order to avoid apprehension after a lawful order to disperse.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Could form a test of whether new communications technologies are instruments of free speech or of illegality.

TODD: Defense attorney Martin Stolar told us he will argue that his client's first amendment free speech was violated. Stolar also filed motions to get some items returned to his client, items taken during a 16-hour search of his home in New York last Thursday. Among the things confiscated, communications equipment, gas masks, a slingshot, test tubes and beakers. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: It was another night of mea culpas for late-night TV host David Letterman. We will show you what happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: For the first time since he admitted he was a victim in an alleged extortion scheme, David Letterman tackled the problem head- on using his style of humor to diffuse an embarrassing and potentially explosive situation. So did it work? Here's CNN's Alina Cho.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Letterman said he was done talking about it, but last night he said it seems like people want to talk about it some more. So, that's exactly what he did, apologizing to his wife, his staff, and above all, making jokes about his favorite target, himself.

(voice-over): He's become the butt of the late-night laughs over the past few days.

SETH MEYERS, CAST MEMBER, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": It was reported that the blackmailer, Joe Halderman, was threatening to reveal embarrassing details of Letterman's personal life. For example, after sex, he would always say, "Stay tuned for Craig Ferguson."

CHO: If you can't beat them, well...

DAVID LETTERMAN, TALK SHOW HOST: Did your weekend just fly by? I'll be honest with you, folks, right now I would give anything to be hiking on the Appalachian Trail. I...

CHO: Fans at Monday night's taping said Letterman handled the situation like a pro.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very into it. Very energized. It was a lot of fun and I think people really generally support him.

CHO: It did get serious for a few minutes, when Letterman, a very private person, again, used his very public forum speaking directly to his staff, and then his wife, Regina Lasko.

LETTERMAN: She has been horribly hurt by my behavior, and when something happens like that, if you hurt a person, and it's your responsibility, you try to fix it. And at that point, there's only two things that can happen. Either you're going to make some progress and get it fixed or you're going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed.

CHO: Letterman also stressed those sexual relationships are over.

LETTERMAN: I would just like to set the record straight. No, I'm not having sex with these women, those episodes are in the past.

CHO: Meanwhile, the 27-year CBS veteran accused of demanding $2 million from Letterman to keep quiet about his sexual past is firing back. Joe Halderman's lawyer says Letterman is a master at manipulation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wanted to get out ahead of the story, and that's exactly what he did.

CHO (on camera): Halderman has pleaded not guilty to attempted grand larceny. He's been suspended from his job, and if convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison. For his part, David Letterman acknowledged, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is only phase one of the scandal. Phase two, next week I go on "Oprah" and sob." Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And we are pushing forward now with the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM with Kyra Phillips.