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Campbell Brown
President Obama Delivers Speech in Japan; 9/11 Terror Suspects Headed to Civilian Court
Aired November 13, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, everybody. I'm Anderson Cooper. Campbell Brown is off tonight.
There's breaking news this hour. President Obama is in Tokyo, where it is just past 10:00 on Saturday morning. He's getting set to deliver a major September covering a lot of topics, the global economy, energy, climate change, human rights, and North Korea's nuclear weapons. We will take the speech live in its entirety.
But, while we're waiting, we need to touch on a major story here at home, where the Obama administration touched off a new political firestorm today. It's bringing the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 terror plot and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees here to New York to put them on trial.
Attorney General Eric Holder made the big announcement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: After eight years of delay, those allegedly responsible for that attacks of September the 11th will finally face justice. They will be brought to New York -- to New York -- to answer for their alleged crimes in a courthouse just blocks away from where the Twin Towers once stood.
I am confident in the ability of our courts to provide these defendants a fair trial, just as they have for over 200 years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Holder and, from Japan, President Obama himself indicated prosecutors will seek the department.
But Republicans, including Senator John McCain, are livid about how this case is being handled.
CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin is here to talk about it.
You say this -- this trial is going to be the biggest challenge to the federal court system. How so?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: This is -- it is not entirely clear they can pull this off.
COOPER: Really?
TOOBIN: There's so much -- so many moving parts here.
Just think about how many difficulties they have. For example, the process of discovery, where the defendant and his lawyers are entitled to see the evidence against him and to see in fact more than that, to see their own statements.
COOPER: So, these guys will have all the rights afforded to any suspect in the United States?
TOOBIN: They are no different from any other defendant in Foley Square, the criminal courthouse in Manhattan. And that includes rights of discovery.
There is some of the most classified information all of the federal government at issue in this case, wiretaps, intercepts, national security agency material.
How will the government manage to give that to people who are considered the worst terrorists in the country?
COOPER: But doesn't a lot of that information concern events post-9/11, not the actual attacks themselves?
TOOBIN: Yes, some of it does, but remember that there are names of cooperating witnesses that they will learn. There are names of other potential al Qaeda operatives that they will learn.
There are procedures in place. There's a law called the Classified Information Procedures Act, CIPA, which attempts to strike that balance. But it's just going to be very hard, because this is information they don't want to see in Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
COOPER: The fact also that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been water-boarded, not just once or twice, but more than 100 times, how does that play into it?
TOOBIN: That's an enormous issue in this case, because, certainly, any statements that he gave while being tortured in that way, the government won't even try to admit, as Eric Holder more or less acknowledged at his press conference.
COOPER: So, the government won't argue that water-boarding is not torture?
TOOBIN: They will not argue that it was a legal process.
They will argue -- and Holder hinted at this in his press conference -- that there were other statements that he made that were not the product of torture. There were earlier statements. There were perhaps later statements.
So, they will argue that the water-boarding is not part of the case. But he's going to have a defense attorney and a team of them which will say, this conduct is so terrible, the whole case should be thrown out. And that's not a frivolous argument. Now, I think, given the circumstances here, it won't win. But the water-boarding is going to be enormously important. And, remember, there are tapes of some of those water-boarding incidents. Some of them have been destroyed, but some may survive.
He may be able to get access to those tapes. He may use them. That may be a big propaganda advantage for him to show how he was tortured.
A lot of things are going to happen here that don't even -- we can't even predict at this point.
COOPER: What is the timeline on here? I mean, this thing would take a long time.
TOOBIN: Slow.
COOPER: Slow.
TOOBIN: I -- look, they're not even indicted yet.
I think it is unlikely a trial -- that is, opening statements to a seated jury -- will begin before 2011. I think we're talking at least a year of pretrial proceedings and possibly more, and possibly a trial that might last a year.
There was a trial in this courthouse called the Pizza Connection mafia case that went on for two years just in front of the jury. So, this...
COOPER: The Pizza Connection.
TOOBIN: The Pizza Connection case, big heroin case.
COOPER: So, that basically puts it right in the heart of the next presidential election?
TOOBIN: Absolutely.
And there are going to be rocky moments. The judge is not going to act predictably. The defense is not going to act predictably. This could become a political problem for the Obama administration, if it looks like the case isn't going well or information isn't properly disclosed. It's a real risk.
COOPER: There are a number of people who disagree with this who say, well, look, this should have been handled by a military tribunal.
TOOBIN: And another interesting thing about Holder's announcement today is, he said some of the Guantanamo detainees will be tried in military tribunals.
So, it's not like the Obama administration is rejecting the whole idea of military tribunals, which some civil libertarians have said they should do. But they have said there's enough admissible evidence to try Mohammed right here in New York. And so we will see.
COOPER: What about the argument that they can't get a fair trial in New York, which, certainly, likely their attorney would argue?
TOOBIN: Yet another huge issue, change of venue, the jury pool here.
As Holder pointed out, the -- Foley Square is about a 15-minute walk from ground zero. You can hardly avoid it. What the government will argue is that everybody in this country knows something about 9/11. It's not unique to New York. So, if you do close voir dire, if you really examine the juries, make sure they have no direct connections to victims of the attack, that's enough to guarantee the defendants a fair trial.
But some judge might want to order a change of venue. And what other courthouse in the country has the security in place to deal with a trial of this type?
COOPER: Right. Obviously, security issues would be another huge...
TOOBIN: It becomes -- the courthouse becomes a big target.
Now, they have done high-profile terrorism cases before, the Blind Sheik from the '93 attack on the World Trade Center. He was tried in this courthouse. But, again, this is much, much bigger.
Where are you going to put all the victims' families who want to watch? You know, in the Oklahoma City bombing case, there were 165 people killed. They had to have a single courtroom just for the victims' families to watch on closed-circuit TV. What are you going to do with 3,000 families? The complexity is enormous.
COOPER: And in terms of what kind of a defense team this guy will get, is this something that -- a public defender or paid by the...
TOOBIN: Paid by the government.
COOPER: Paid by the government.
TOOBIN: Yes, and not just one lawyer either. Under the provisions of the federal death penalty law, he will have a separate legal team for the guilt phase and for the death penalty phase. If there is, it will be enormously expensive. This whole thing will be incredibly expensive.
COOPER: It's remarkable. Jeff, stick around.
We're waiting for the president to take the stage at Suntory Hall in Tokyo for a major policy speech. We're going to bring it to you live, along with reaction, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: All right, let's go to Tokyo right now, where President Obama is about to start speaking, a major policy address.
We will be right back. Here he is.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you so much.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Please.
Good morning.
AUDIENCE: Good morning.
OBAMA: It is a great honor to be in Tokyo, the first stop on my first visit to Asia as president of the United States.
And it is good to be...
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Thank you.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: It's good to be among so many of you, Japanese -- and I see a few Americans here...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: ... who work every day to strengthen the bonds between our two countries, including my longtime friend and our new ambassador to Japan, John Roos.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: It is wonderful to be back in Japan.
Some of you may be aware that, when I was a young boy, my mother brought me to Kamakura, where I looked up at that centuries-old symbol of peace and tranquility, the great bronze Amida Buddha. And, as a child, I was more focused on the matcha ice cream.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: But I want to thank Prime Minister Hatoyama for sharing some of those memories with more ice cream last night at dinner.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Thank you very much.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: But I have never forgotten the warmth and hospitality that the Japanese people showed a young American far from home.
And I feel that same spirit on this visit, in the gracious welcome of Prime Minister Hatoyama, in the extraordinary honor of meeting with their imperial majesties, the emperor and empress on the 20th anniversary of his accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne, in the hospitality shown by the Japanese people.
And, of course, I could not come here without sending greetings and my gratitude to the citizens of Obama, Japan. So...
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Now, I am beginning my journey here for a simple reason. Since taking office, I have worked to renew American leadership and pursue a new era of engagement with the world, based on mutual interests and mutual respect.
And our efforts in the Asia Pacific will be rooted, in no small measure, through an enduring and revitalized alliance between the United States and Japan.
From my first days in office, we have worked to strengthen the ties that bind our nations. The first foreign leader that I welcomed to the White House was the prime minister of Japan. And for the first time in nearly 50 years, the first foreign trip by an American secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, was to Asia, starting in Japan.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: In two months, our alliance will mark its 50th anniversary, a day when President Dwight Eisenhower stood next to Japan's prime minister and said that our two nations were creating an indestructible partnership based on equality and mutual understanding.
In the half-century since, that alliance has endured as a foundation for our security and prosperity. It has helped us become the world's two largest economies, with Japan emerging as America's second-largest trading partner outside of North America.
It has evolved as Japan has played a larger role on the world stage, and made important contributions to stability around the world, from reconstruction in Iraq, to combating piracy off the Horn of Africa, to assistance for the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, most recently through its remarkable leadership in providing additional commitments to international development efforts there.
Above all, our alliance has endured because it reflects our common values, a belief in the democratic right of free people to choose their own leaders and realize their own dreams, a belief that made possible the election of both Prime Minister Hatoyama and myself, on the promise of change. And, together, we are committed to providing a new generation of leadership for our people and our alliance. That is why, at this critical moment in history, the two of us have not only reaffirmed our alliance; we have agreed to deepen it. We have agreed to move expeditiously through a joint working group to implement the agreement that our two governments reached on restructuring U.S. forces in Okinawa.
And as our alliance evolves and adapts for the future, we will always strive to uphold the spirit that President Eisenhower described long ago, a partnership of equality and mutual respect.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: But while our commitment to this region begins in Japan, it does not end here.
The United States of America may have started as a series of ports and cities along the Atlantic, but for generations we also have been a nation of the Pacific. Asia and the United States are not separated by this great ocean; we are bound by it.
We are bound by our past, by the Asian immigrants who helped build America and the generations of Americans in uniform who have served and sacrificed to keep this region secure and free. We are bound by our shared prosperity, by the trade and commerce upon which millions of jobs and families depend.
And we are bound by our people, by the Asian Americans who enrich every segment of American life and all the people whose lives, like our countries, are interwoven.
My own life is a part of that story. I am an American president who was born in Hawaii and lived in Indonesia as a boy. My sister, Maya, was born in Jakarta, and later married a Chinese-Canadian. My mother spent nearly a decade working in the villages of Southeast Asia, helping women buy a sewing machine or an education that might give them a foothold in the world economy.
So, the Pacific Rim has helped shape my view of the world.
And, since that time, perhaps no region has changed as swiftly or dramatically. Controlled economies have given way to open markets. Dictatorships have become democracies. Living standards have risen, while poverty has plummeted. And through all these changes, the fortunes of America and the Asia Pacific have become more closely linked than ever before.
So, I want everyone to know and I want everybody in America to know that we have a stake in the future of this region, because what happens here has a direct affect on our lives at home. This is where we engage in much of our commerce and buy many of our goods. And this is where we can export more of our own products and create jobs back home in the process.
This is a place where the risk of a nuclear arms race threatens the security of the wider world, and where extremists who defile a great religion plan attacks on both our continents. And there can be no solution to our energy security and our climate challenge without the rising powers and developing nations of the Asia Pacific.
To meet these common challenges, the United States looks to strengthen old alliances and build new partnerships with the nations of this region. To do this, we look to America's treaty alliances with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines, alliances that are not historical documents from a bygone era, but abiding commitments to each other that are fundamental to our shared security.
Now, these alliances continue to provide the bedrock of security and stability that has allowed the nations and peoples of this region to pursue opportunity and prosperity that was unimaginable at the time of my first childhood visit to Japan.
And even as American troops are engaged in two wars around the world, our commitment to Japan's security and to Asia's security is unshakable, and it can be seen...
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And it can be seen in our deployments throughout the region above all, through our young men and women in uniform, of whom I am so proud.
Now, we look to emerging nations that are poised as well to play a larger role, both in the Asia Pacific region and the wider world, places like Indonesia and Malaysia that have adopted democracy, developed their economies, and tapped the great potential of their own people.
We look to rising powers with the view that, in the 21st century, the national security and economic growth of one country need not come at the expense of another. I know there are many who question how the United States perceives China's emergence.
But, as I have said, in an interconnected world, power does not need to be a zero-sum game, and nations need not fear the success of another. Cultivating spheres of cooperation, not competing spheres of influence, will lead to progress in the Asia Pacific.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Now, as with -- as with any nation, America will approach China with a focus on our interests.
But it is precisely for this reason that it is important to pursue pragmatic cooperation with China on issues of mutual concern, because no one nation can meet the challenges of the 21st century alone. And the United States and China will both be better off when we are able to meet them together.
That is why we welcome China's effort to play a greater role on the world stage, a role in which their growing economy is joined by growing responsibility. China's partnership has proved critical in our effort to jump-start economic recovery. China has promoted security and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And it is now committed to the global nonproliferation regime, and supporting the pursuit of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
So, the United States does not seek to contain China, nor does a deeper relationship with China mean a weakening of our bilateral alliances. On the contrary, the rise of a strong and prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations. And, so, in Beijing and beyond, we will work to deepen our strategic and economic dialogue, and improve communication between our militaries.
Of course, we will not agree on every issue, and the United States will never waver in speaking up for the fundamental values that we hold dear. And that includes respect for the religion and cultures of all people, because support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America. But we can move these discussions forward in a spirit of partnership, rather than rancor.
In addition to our bilateral relations, we also believe that the growth of multilateral organizations can advance the security and prosperity of this region. I know that the United States has been disengaged from many of these organizations in recent years.
So, let me be clear: Those days have passed. As an Asia Pacific nation, the United States expects to be involved in the discussions that shape the future of this region, and to participate fully in appropriate organizations as they are established and evolve.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: That is the work that I will begin on this trip.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum will continue to promote regional commerce and prosperity, and I look forward to participating in that forum tomorrow. ASEAN will remain a catalyst for Southeast Asian dialogue, cooperation and security. And I look forward to becoming the first American president to meet with all ten ASEAN leaders.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And the United States looks forward to engaging with the East Asia Summit more formally as it plays a role in addressing the challenges of our time.
We seek this deeper and broader engagement because we know our collective future depends on it. And I'd like to speak for a bit about what that future can look like and what we must do to advance our prosperity, our security, and our universal values and aspirations.
First, we must strengthen our economic recovery and pursue growth that is both balanced and sustained. The quick, unprecedented and coordinated action taken by Asia Pacific nations and others has averted economic catastrophe, and helped us to begin to emerge from the worst recession in generations.
And we have taken the historic step of reforming our international economic architecture, so that the G20 is now the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
Now, this shift to the G20, along with the greater voice that is being given to Asian nations in international financial institutions, clearly demonstrates the broader, more inclusive engagement that America seeks in the 21st century.
And, as a key member of the G8, Japan has and will continue to play a leading role in shaping the future of the international financial architecture.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Now that we are on the brink of economic recovery, we must also ensure that it can be sustained. We simply cannot return to the same cycles of boom and bust that led to a global recession. We can't follow the same policies that led to such imbalanced growth.
One of the important lessons this recession has taught us is the limits of depending primarily on American consumers and Asian exports to drive growth, because when Americans found themselves too heavily in debt or loss their jobs and were out of work, demand for Asian goods plummeted. When demand fell sharply, exports from this region fell sharply.
Since the economies of this region are so dependent on exports, they stopped growing, and the global recession only deepened.
So, we have now reached one of those rare inflection points in history, where we have the opportunity to take a different path. And that must begin with the G20 pledge that we made in Pittsburgh to pursue a new strategy for balanced economic growth.
I will be saying more about this in Singapore, but, in the United States, this new strategy will mean that we save more and spend less, reform our financial system, reduce our long-term deficit and borrowing.
It will also mean a greater emphasis on exports that we can build, produce, and sell all over the world. For America, this is a jobs strategy. Right now, our exports support millions upon millions of well-paying American jobs. Increasing those exports by just a small amount has the potential to create millions more. These are jobs making everything from wind turbines and solar panels to the technology that you use every day.
For Asia, striking this better balance will provide an opportunity for workers and consumers to enjoy higher standards of living that their remarkable increases in productivity have made possible. It will allow for greater investments in housing and infrastructure and the service sector, and a more balanced global economy will lead to prosperity that reaches further and deeper. For decades, the United States has had one of the most open markets in the world. And that openness has helped to fuel the success of so many countries in this region and others over the last century. In this new era, opening other markets around the globe will be critical, not just to America's prosperity, but to the world's as well.
Now, an integral part of this new strategy is working toward an ambitious and balanced Doha agreement, not any agreement, but an agreement that will open up markets and increase exports around the world. And we are ready to work with our Asian partners to see if we can achieve that objective in a timely fashion. And we invite our regional trading partners to join us at the table.
We also believe that continued integration of the economies of this region will benefit workers, consumers, and businesses in all our nations. Together, with our South Korean friends, we will work through the issues necessary to move forward on a trade agreement with them.
The United States will also be engaging with the Trans-Pacific Partnership countries, with the goal of shaping a regional agreement that will have broad-based membership and the high standards worthy of a 21st century trade agreement.
Working in partnership, this is how we can sustain this recovery and advance our common prosperity. But it's not enough to pursue growth that is balanced. We also need growth that is sustainable for our planet and the future generations that will live here.
Already, the United States has taken more steps to combat climate change in 10 months than we have in our recent history, by embracing the latest science...
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: ... by embracing the latest science, by investing in new energy, by raising efficiency standards, forging new partnerships, and engaging in international climate negotiations.
In short, America knows there is more work to do. But we are meeting our responsibility, and will continue to do so.
And that includes striving for success in Copenhagen. I have no illusions that this will be easy, but the contours of a way forward are clear. All nations must accept their responsibility. Those nations like my own who have been the leading emitters must have clear reduction targets.
Developing countries will need to take substantial actions to curb their emissions, aided by finance and technology. And there must be transparency and accountability for domestic actions.
Each of us must do what we can to grow our economies without endangering our planet. And we must do it together. But the good news is that, if we put the right rules and incentives in place, it will unleash the creative power of our best scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. It will lead to new jobs, new businesses, and entire new industries.
And Japan has been at the forefront on this issue. We are looking forward to being an important partner with you as we achieve this critical global goal.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Yet, even as we confront this challenge of the 21st century, we must also redouble our efforts to meet a threat to our security that is the legacy of the 20th century, the danger posed by nuclear weapons.
In Prague, I affirmed America's commitment to rid the world of nuclear weapons, and laid out a comprehensive agenda to pursue this goal.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: I am pleased that Japan has joined us in this effort, for no two nations on Earth know better what these weapons can do, and together we must seek a future without them.
This is fundamental to our common security, and this is a great test of our common humanity. Our very future hangs in the balance.
Now, let me be clear: So long as these weapons exist, the United States will maintain a strong and effective nuclear deterrent that guarantees the defense of our allies, including South Korea and Japan.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: But we must recognize that an escalating nuclear arms race in this region would undermine decades of growth and prosperity. So we are called upon to uphold the basic bargain of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, that all nations have a right to peaceful nuclear energy, that nations with nuclear weapons have a responsibility to move toward nuclear disarmament and those without nuclear weapons have a responsibility to forsake them.
Indeed, Japan serves as an example to the world that true peace and power can be achieved by taking this path.
(APPLAUSE)
For decades -- for decades, Japan has enjoyed the benefits of peaceful nuclear energy while rejecting nuclear arms development and by any measure, this has increased Japan's security and enhanced its position. And to meet our responsibilities and to move forward with the agenda I laid out in Prague, we have passed with the help of Japan, a unanimous U.N. Security Council resolution embracing this international effort.
We are pursuing a new agreement with Russia to reduce our nuclear stockpiles. We will work to ratify and bring into force the test ban treaty.
(APPLAUSE)
And next year at our nuclear security summit, we will advance our goal of securing all the world's vulnerable nuclear materials within four years. Now as I've said before, strengthening the global nonproliferation regime is not about singling out any individual nations, it's about all nations living up to their responsibilities. That includes the Islamic Republic of Iran and it includes North Korea.
For decades, North Korea has chosen a path of confrontation and provocation, including the pursuit of nuclear weapons. It should be clear where this path leads. We have tightened sanctions on Pyongyang. We have passed the most sweeping U.N. Security Council resolution to date to restrict their weapons of mass destruction activities. We will not be cowed by threats and we will continue to send a clear message through our actions and not just our words. North Korea's refusal to meet its international obligations will lead only to less security not more.
Yet there is another path that can be taken, working in tandem with our partners, supported by direct diplomacy. The United States is prepared to offer North Korea a different future. Instead of an isolation that has compounded the horrific repression of its own people, North Korea could have a future of international integration. Instead of gripping poverty, it could have a future of economic opportunity where trade and investment and tourism can offer the North Korean people a chance at a better life. And instead of increasing insecurity, it could have a future of greater security and respect.
This respect cannot be earned through belligerence. It must be reached by a nation that takes its place in the international community by fully living up to its international obligation. So the path for North Korea to realize its future is clear, a return to the Six-party talks, upholding previous commitments, including a return to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty and the full and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. And full normalization with its neighbors can also only come if Japanese families receive a full accounting of those who have been abducted. These are all steps that need to be taken by the North Korean government.
(APPLAUSE)
These are all steps that can be taken by the North Korean government if they are interested in improving the lives of their people and joining the community of nations. And as we are vigilant in confronting this challenge, we will stand with all of our Asian partners in combating the transnational threats of the 21st century, by rooting out the extremists who slaughtered the innocent and stopping the piracy that threatens our sea lanes, by enhancing our efforts to stop infectious disease and working to end extreme poverty in our time, and by shutting down the traffickers who exploit women, children and migrants and putting a stop to this scourge of modern day slavery once and for all. Indeed, the final area in which we must work together is in upholding the fundamental rights and dignity of all human beings. The Asia Pacific region is rich with many cultures. It is marked by extraordinary traditions and strong national histories. And time and again, we have seen the remarkable talent and drive of the peoples of this region in advancing human progress.
Yet this much is also clear. Indigenous cultures and economic growth have not be stymied by respect for human rights. They have been strengthened by it. Supporting human rights provides lasting security. They cannot be purchased in any other way. That is the story that can be seen in Japan's democracy, just as it can be seen in America's democracy. The longing for liberty and dignity is a part of the story of all peoples. For there are certain aspirations that human beings hold in common, the freedom to speak your mind, and choose your leaders, the ability to access information and worship how you please, confidence in the rule of law, and the equal administration of justice.
These are not impediments to stability. They are the cornerstones of stability. And we will always stand on the side of those who seek these rights. That truth, for example, guides our new approach to Burma. Despite years of good intentions, neither sanctions by the United States nor engagement by others succeeded in improving the lives of the Burmese people. So we are now communicating directly with the leadership to make it clear that existing sanctions will remain until there are concrete steps toward Democratic reform.
We support a Burma that is unified, peaceful, prosperous and Democratic. And as Burma moves in that direction, a better relationship with the United States is possible.
There are clear steps that must be taken, the unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, an end to conflicts with minority groups and a genuine dialogue between the government, the Democratic opposition and minority groups on a shared vision for the future. That is how a government in Burma will be able to respond to the needs of its people. That is the path that will bring Burma through security and prosperity.
(APPLAUSE)
These are steps that the United States will take to improve prosperity, security and human dignity in the Asia Pacific. We will do so through our close friendship with Japan which will always be a centerpiece of our efforts in the region. We will do so as a partner through the broader engagement that I've discussed today. We will do so as a Pacific nation with a president who was shaped in part by this piece of the globe. And we will do so with the same sense of purpose that has guided our ties with the Japanese people for nearly 50 years.
The story of how these ties were forged dates back to the middle of the last century, sometime after the guns of war had quieted in the Pacific. It was then that America's commitment to the security and stability of Japan along with the Japanese people's spirit of resilience and industriousness led to what's been called the Japanese miracle. A period of economic growth that was faster and more robust than anything the world had seen for some time.
In the coming years and decades, this miracle would spread throughout the region and in a single generation, the lives and fortunes of millions were forever changed for the better. It is progress that has been supported by a hard-earned peace and strengthened by new bridges of mutual understanding that have bound together the nations of this vast and sprawling space.
But we know that there's still work to be done. So that new breakthroughs in science and technology can lead to jobs on both sides of the Pacific and security from a warming planet, so that we can reverse the spread of deadly weapons and on a divided peninsula of the people of the south can be free from fear and those in the north can live free from want. So that a young girl can be valued not for her body but for her mind. So that young people everywhere can go as far as their talent, their drive and their choices will take them.
None of this will come easy. Nor without set back or struggle. But at this moment of renewal, in this land of miracles, history tells us it is possible.
This is the America's agenda. This is the purpose of our partnership with Japan and with the nations and peoples of this region. And there must be no doubt as America's first Pacific president, I promise you that this Pacific nation will strengthen and sustain our leadership in this vitally important part of the world.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And we listened to President Obama embracing Pacific nations. Also, issuing a warning to North Korea in his speech just a few minutes ago.
Let me have CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley with Victor Cha, who served under President Bush as director of Asian affairs with the White House National Security Council.
Candy, your impressions of the speech, first of all.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think this was an introductory piece for a new president who has traveled now overseas more than any other president in their first year. I think what they are trying to do is not so much reset with Japan because our relationship with Japan has been fairly good, but to introduce himself to make that kind of connection that we have seen him try to make in almost every country that he has visited and given major speeches.
You will recall that when he was in Turkey, he talked about his Muslim ties, his ties with Muslim countries. Here, we hear him talking about his ties with the Pacific ring, sort of trying to make on a global scale what you try to do with a campaign, which is make that personal connection which will suit you very well down the line because there are a lot of things that the U.S. does and needs from Japan. Certainly the relationship between the U.S. and countries like Japan and China has changed because we are no longer the only big economic superpower on the stage. So it's a different relationship, and I think one that the president in this speech certainly was trying to reach out and say, I -- you know, I recognize your importance and I recognize that we will be equal partners moving forward and here are the problems we have.
COOPER: Victor, was there any actual news in the speech? Did anything actually surprised you?
VICTOR CHA, BUSH ADMINISTRATION ASIA SPECIALIST: Nothing really that surprised me. I mean, Candy's right. You started out with this theme, the United States is an Asia Pacific power, and this personal touch of him actually being partly, a part of the Asia Pacific. Then he moved on to the discussion of the alliances and how strong these alliances were with both Japan and Korea, based on common values and then broadened out the scope of the alliances to say these are just not Cold War alliances but they're more broadly about the United States, Japan and Korea working in Afghanistan, working in Iraq.
And I thought the thing about the China discussion was very interesting because one, he stated very clearly that the United States does not seek to contain China and made very clear that the concept for him with regard to China is nonzero summit. China's rise is something that can work with the United States, doesn't necessarily have to work against them.
COOPER: And one of the things that has been fueling China's rise throughout the world are free trade agreements with a number of nations.
CHA: Right, exactly. And I think one of the things that was missing from the speech was, you know, people are still looking for the enunciation of the Obama administration's trade policy. You know, he's in Asia, he's at APEC. APEC is a big multilateral trade forum. The countries of APEC compose 50 percent of global trade, and we really haven't heard yet what the administration's trade policy is.
There is some reference to trade, but, you know, these were more talking points and I think when we goes to Singapore, people will want to hear him flesh out what are his ideas for the U.S. free trade agreement. What are his ideas for the transpacific partnership, which is a proposal for a regional trade pact among some of the countries in Southeast Asia.
COOPER: And, Candy, I was in North Korea, was a big focus of the speech tonight. No new ground, though, really broken.
CROWLEY: No, but this is -- you know, he's in the region here, so, of course, that's one of the key foreign policy issues that is out there that he needs to work with many of these places that he'll be visiting as well as Afghanistan because Japan has just given more money to help build up some of the international agencies that are in Afghanistan. So it's an important region, not just because of trade, certainly mostly because of trade but because there are foreign policy objectives that the Obama administration that it would like some help on. And to just kind to bring home the trade idea that people's eyes tend to glaze over when you say, well, the trade pact and this. The fact of the matter is that because taking China, for instance, China has such a huge, huge trade surplus with the U.S., it's costing U.S. jobs. They sell many more things over here than they buy. So the president's job in addition to dealing with, you know, the currency is also to try to begin to lay the groundwork for China, opening up its markets more to American goods because that's what creates American jobs and frankly, that's what the president needs to do is create more American jobs.
COOPER: We got to leave there. Candy Crowley, Victor Cha, appreciate you being in the program. Wolf Blitzer is going to have more reactions to the president's speech tonight. He's filling in for Larry King.
And just add flooding, 15-foot waves and high winds, the latest in the wicked weather battering the east coast tonight. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: There's more must-see news happening right now. HLN's Mike Galanos has tonight's "Download" -- Mike.
MIKE GALANOS, HLN PRIME NEWS: Hey, Anderson. First off, former Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson sentenced to 13 years in prison today for taking bribes. If you remember he had $90,000 cash stored in his freezer. Prosecutors said that was just some of the money he took for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa.
The Army major accused of gunning down 13 people at Fort Hood may never walk again. Nidal Hasan's lawyer says bullet wounds have left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Well, November nor'easter continues to batter the mid-Atlantic coast tonight. Six deaths are now blamed on the storm, remnants of tropical storm Ida. There are huge waves and flooding in Delaware, New Jersey, New York and in Virginia.
What NASA thought it was looking for when it bombed the moon last month -- water. It's a major discovery that could help unlock some mysteries of our solar system. There's also hope future astronauts at a moon base could drink the water or maybe use it to make rocket fuel.
And here's Senator John McCain today reacting to former running mate Sarah Palin's upcoming new book in which she writes about being mishandled by McCain's advisers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you read the book? Have you read the book?
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I've heard of that. I just received a signed copy of it from her yesterday. So I'll read it with interest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALANOS: There you go. The signed copy, he's going to read "Going Rogue" from Sarah Palin. That book comes out on Tuesday.
Anderson, back to you.
COOPER: Four hundred pages, it's going to take a while.
GALANOS: Yes.
COOPER: Mike, thanks a lot.
Five suspected 9/11 terrorists will be tried in New York City courtrooms. Critics say that puts Americans at risk. Are they right? We'll talk about that with Jeff Toobin ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: I want to bring back CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin for more of the other big story of the day.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other 9/11 terror suspects. That's their new photo that we've seen of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed at Guantanamo. Quite different than the picture we've previously seen of him in that t-shirt shortly after he was apprehended. They're going to be facing trial in a civilian court in New York City just blocks from the site of the World Trade Center.
The biggest challenge is what?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: The biggest challenge is having Mohammed have enough access to the information to have a fair trial, but not so much that the U.S. government, the CIA, the National Security Agency says, look, we can't turn over this.
COOPER: This was an issue back with Zacarias Moussaoui.
TOOBIN: It was a big issue with Moussaoui. It was even bigger in that case because, if you recall, he represented himself for a large portions of the trial. Again, we don't know whether Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will agree to participate in his defense. I think one thing that was interesting that Holder announced today is that for most of the pretrial proceedings, he suggested Mohammed will remain at Guantanamo. He is not going to be in New York much if at all until the actual trial which will make the security situation a heck of a lot easier.
COOPER: But in terms of the length of this, I mean, this is going to drag on into the presidential election?
TOOBIN: I think. No one knows for sure, but I think a year of pretrial proceedings is virtually guaranteed. And remember, he's not even indicted yet. They've just announced that they're going to present it to a grand jury, so he'll probably be indicted sometime in early 2010.
COOPER: And for pretrial hearings, would he actually be physically present?
TOOBIN: Well, that's the thing that Holder suggested today is no. They'll probably pipe the audio into Guantanamo, you know, with the translator, and so he won't have to be there. That would make it a heck of a lot easier to deal with the security.
COOPER: But for access to his attorneys and stuff, couldn't he made the argument that he would need to be here?
TOOBIN: He might. He might again, that's something else the judge is going to have to decide. Certainly his lawyers will go back and forth to see him in Guantanamo, but I think the judge recognizing -- you know, you need to see the jury and interact at least visually with the jury. You don't need to see the judge, so I think the judge may well say you don't have to be here.
COOPER: All right. We'll watch it. Jeff, appreciate it. Jeff Toobin.
Tonight's "Breakout" story is one you have to see to believe. It's sort of a field of dreams of golf. Stick around for us. It's got to be the most unlikely golf course in the world, the Kabul Golf Club. That's right. A golf course in the middle of Afghanistan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight's "Breakout" report takes out to what might be the last place you'd expect to find a golf course -- Afghanistan. Here's CNN's Sara Sidner.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Take a few seconds to soak in this golfer's paradise. At first glance, the only hint that this is even a golf course are the pins that mark the holes. But it's paradise in Afghanistan because it is the only golf course in the entire country.
Mohammad Abdul runs the place. He is so serious about golf he has risked his life for the love of the game and this crumbling course.
SIDNER (voice-over): You said you were captured twice.
MOHAMMAD ABDUL, GOLF COURSE DIRECTOR: Yes, that's right. One Russian and Taliban.
SIDNER (voice-over): Jailed both times on suspicion of spying because foreigners frequented this place. Over 30 years, he and his course keep coming under attack. When you talk about bunkers on this course, it's the real thing. First, the Russians invaded, using this as a military base.
ABDUL: Now you see I showed the old tank up there. It's a Russian tank.
SIDNER (on camera): So there's still a tank up there.
ABDUL: Up there.
SIDNER: I see it.
ABDUL: That's an old tank. The Russians, the first time they came (ph).
SIDNER (voice-over): When the Russians left, then came the Taliban. Destruction from their attack is still visible. This used to be the golf club bar, blown up because alcohol was sold here. When Abdul returned after fleeing the war, he came to the course to clean it up. First things first, he hired sheep to walk the property in case of land mines.
(on camera): So the sheep walks.
ABDUL: Yes.
SIDNER: And in case there were mines, it would be the sheep that got hurt.
ABDUL: Yes.
SIDNER: Poor sheep.
ABDUL: I need money. I need money.
SIDNER (voice-over): Abdul's back again to play and teach.
ABDUL: Put on the green.
SIDNER (on camera): Put it on the green?
ABDUL: Yes.
SIDNER: You mean the brown?
ABDUL: Yes. Nice shot.
SIDNER (voice-over): If you don't make it to the imaginary green here, you're in for a bumpy ride.
(on camera): So besides the ditches, the rocks and the oil in some greens (ph), there's one more thing you have to worry about when you come out here and that's security. The road here is known for kidnappings and robberies.
(voice-over): And that may explain why today I'm his only client, but Abdul isn't giving up his unwavering belief that the Afghanistan's only golf course will see greener pastures.
Sara Sidner, CNN, Kabul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: If you build it, they will come. Join me in one hour for "AC 360."
"LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now. Wolf Blitzer is filling in -- Wolf.
