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New War Plan in Afghanistan; Plan for Afghanistan; Stocks Climb to 14-Month High
Aired December 02, 2009 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And meanwhile, thanks so much for being with us. The news continues right now, NEWSROOM with Heidi Collins.
Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, John. Good morning, Kiran. And good morning to you, everybody. Here's a look at what we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM today.
The new war plan for Afghanistan. More troops, new questions, and a battle already getting under way this hour on Capitol Hill.
Also this hour, Wall Street opens at a 14-month high. But don't celebrate yet. It could be a bumpy ride today.
And the so-called party crashers at the White House. Newly revealed e-mails raise new questions. But who looks worse? The couple or the Pentagon staffer who befriended them?
Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. It is December 2nd. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
First off, want to get a closer look at President Obama's new strategy for Afghanistan. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux has a view from the White House and also the politics behind it all. We'll get to her.
We will also get to our Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence who's just back from Afghanistan. Joining us from New York. He's going to look at the military realities of the plan.
And also in New York this morning, Peter Bergen, our national security analyst. We're going to talk with him about whether or not an increase in U.S. forces really knocks down al Qaeda or is it all just too little too late.
First let's go ahead and break down what the president said last night and what it will mean on the ground in Afghanistan.
Here's our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Quick in, quick out. BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our cause is just, our resolve unwavering. We will go forward with confidence that right makes might.
MALVEAUX: President Obama is ordering 30,000 additional U.S. troops into Afghanistan. Over just a six-month period. Lightning speed for any military operation.
OBAMA: We'll deploy in the first part of 2010. The fastest possible pace. So that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers.
MALVEAUX: The U.S. mission is to go after al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents while training the Afghan security forces to step up and fight for themselves. With a clear timeline for U.S. forces to pull out, beginning in July of 2011.
OBAMA: After 18 months our troops will begin to come home.
MALVEAUX: The president put the Afghan government and its people on notice.
OBAMA: It must be clear that Afghans will have to take responsibility for their security, and that America has no interest in fighting an endless war in Afghanistan. The days of providing a blank check are over.
MALVEAUX: The price tag for the U.S. military operation this year the president said will be $30 billion. Worth the sacrifice, Mr. Obama reminded Americans.
OBAMA: This is the epicenter of violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda. It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak.
MALVEAUX: The president's hope is not to leave a messy contracted war behind for his possible successor in 2012 if Mr. Obama only serves one term. But he's taking a page from President Bush's playbook, not to box himself in if things fall apart.
OBAMA: Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Suzanne Malveaux joining us now from the White House with more on this.
Suzanne, a lot of people wondering, did the president's tone last night help him win over any critics?
MALVEAUX: Well, you know, the tone was very different than what I've normally heard a lot of war speeches covering President Bush. You didn't have that same bluster or bravado, especially when you're talking about the escalation of a war in Afghanistan. But the president realized that the speech wasn't actually meant to have that same kind of feel or that tone. But in speaking with people after the speech, it's clear, Heidi, that neither side was really satisfied with this. Those who are against the war and those who support the war.
He essentially was trying to satisfy both sides. That didn't happen. The president knew that that going in that was going to be the case, that's why you see actually kind of unfolding the sales job that's happening, Secretary Clinton as well as General McChrystal, others going before Congress in these hearings, answering those questions and President Obama as well, going to be out there talking to the American people, talking up this war effort -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Suzanne Malveaux in front of the White House this morning. Thanks, Suzanne.
Almost as soon as the president finished his speech, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan directly addressed those who will carry out the mission.
General Stanley McChrystal spoke in a closed videoconference with his commanders and officials with the NATO-led security force. McChrystal said the new strategy now provides him with a clear mission and sufficient resources.
Beginning this hour on Capitol Hill, top administration officials are facing questions on the new strategy. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee -- there, you see Carl Levin -- along with Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He, too, will be there.
We'll come back to that hearing just as soon as things get under way and if things heat up just a bit. We'll be watching it for you.
So what are we likely to hear from the top military men? Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence is joining us now with a closer look from New York this morning.
So, Chris, skeptics are already saying the accelerated time frame for the buildup is pretty unrealistic. Yesterday we reported he wanted to get those troops in there within six months. The 30,000. Will Gates and Mullen try to sort of tamp down those concerns a bit today?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, as recently as just 12 days ago everything -- and I mean everything -- that we heard from senior defense officials suggested they expected this to be a slow roll-out that would take into the end of next year.
In fact, just before thanksgiving the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Afghanistan didn't have the infrastructure to support an Iraq-like surge. There's clearly been pressure from the administration to speed up that process.
Now back in 2007 yes, the military did rush five brigades into Iraq in just five months but they did so over paved roads and they had a huge staging area in that Kuwaiti desert. Almost everything has to come into Afghanistan by air. And I tell you, over the next five months that winter weather is going to be a major, major factor.
COLLINS: Yes. Yes. Very good point. Now that they say they have the extra troops that they need, how will they change their game plan to actually beat the Taliban and try to restore some security here?
LAWRENCE: Well, you mentioned General McChrystal's address that happened just this morning in which he told U.S. allies that the goal was not just to kill the Taliban, but to convince them to give up the fight. He is throwing his weight behind an effort to try to re- integrate certain elements of the Taliban back in the Afghan government.
And we're also told in his testimony today Defense Secretary Robert Gates will describe the relationship between al Qaeda and the Taliban, and also make the case for growing the Afghan forces.
But there's already been a change in that as well because General McChrystal proposed an Afghan force that was about 400,000 strong. A senior official now says that number doesn't have very much weight within the administration. They are looking at smaller, shorter goals like just trying to get to about 130,000 Afghan soldiers by next fall -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, which will be a huge, huge challenge in and of itself. We talked about that with you a little bit yesterday.
LAWRENCE: Yes.
COLLINS: All right, Chris Lawrence, our Pentagon correspondent coming to us from New York today. Reaction from Congress on the president's speech. We're talking to two congressmen, both who served in Afghanistan. We're getting their take on the strategy, the additional troops and the time table for withdrawal. That's coming your way in about 20 minutes.
Some American soldiers in Afghanistan got up in the middle of the night to watch President Obama's speech on the troop buildup. And for many it can't come soon enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're taking hits, you know, all the time and I think the more soldiers the better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We go to certain areas, and it's worrisome. So the more people we have here, the more security we have, the more secure our troops can be and safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COLLINS: We're going to be hearing more from the troops a little bit later on this hour and also get reaction from local villagers in Afghanistan.
The partnership with Pakistan. It is a key part of President Obama's afghan strategy. We're talking about the need for international allies with CNN's national security analyst Peter Bergen.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, again. I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center.
We have just that, some snow in parts of the suburbs of Dallas, winds with the storm that's strengthening and now tornado watches and warnings that are posted for the Florida panhandle. We'll run it down in just a few minutes.
The CNN NEWSROOM is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: President Obama outlined the need to keep al Qaeda on the run as one of the reasons for a troop increase in Afghanistan. He also talked about the growing partnership with Pakistan as allies against the Taliban.
Joining me now to talk a little bit more about the president's objectives is CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen.
Peter, nice to see you. Thanks for being with us. First off, let's go ahead and listen, if you will, with me to a part of the president's speech last night regarding extremism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: This is no idle danger. No hypothetical threat. In the last few months alone we have apprehended extremists within our borders who were sent here from the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan to commit new acts of terror.
And this danger will only grow if the region slides backwards and al Qaeda can operate with impunity. We must keep the pressure on al Qaeda and to do that we must increase the stability and capacity of our partners in the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: So Peter, how are we going to increase the stability and the capacity of our partners?
PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, in the case of Pakistan, you know, Heidi, we're already giving $1.5 billion a year in aid, not to the military, but directly to Pakistani sort of civil society as it were. We're also -- you know, we have United States has very good relations with the Pakistani military in terms of cooperation. The drone attacks that you're aware of in Pakistan are increasingly done in collaboration with the Pakistani government because a number of the people that have been -- the targets of these attacks are actually attacking the Pakistani state. They're attacking Pakistani policemen.
COLLINS: Right.
BERGEN: Pakistani soldiers. And so you know, our interests -- the United States interests and Pakistani interests are a little more aligned than they have been in the past.
COLLINS: Well, as you say, $7.5 billion over five years, an awful lot of money, of course, especially when you talk about it on the five-year sort of package. How is that going? I mean if you had to put a grade on it as far as our relationship with Pakistan, and its effectiveness in this fight, what would you say at this point?
BERGEN: That's a very complex question, Heidi. You know Pakistan is one of the most anti-American countries in the world. And that's been true consistently for the last several years.
On the other hand, I think in terms of our -- the relationship between the government and the military, I think those relationships are pretty good. And now the Pakistani military and government, for our own purposes, are really taking the war to the militants.
We saw that earlier this year in Swat. It's now in Waziristan. They're not going to go after everybody that United States would like them to go after, I don't think. They're going to probably continue to sort of acquiesce and the Afghan Taliban remaining headquartered on that territory.
But they are going after significant elements of the Taliban. This is also done with the support of their own population. So that's a change from two years ago for sure.
COLLINS: So it's better, obviously, it's a friendship if you will, whether some people say that, you know, we're buying that friendship or not. That has improved.
BERGEN: It has, Heidi. And you know, Pakistan is very conscious of the fact that they think of us as sort of a fair weather friend, during the '80s when the Afghan -- when Afghanistan was invaded by the Soviet Union, you know, we funneled a lot of money through the Pakistanis to support the Afghan war against the Soviets, and then we basically sort of turned our back on them.
They're very aware of that history. Americans have generally forgotten that. So I think part of the president's plan and part of his speech last night was to reassure the Pakistanis that we're in -- we have a long-term relationship with them, that we have something of a long-term commitment to Afghanistan, and we're not going to just walk away a year or two from now and say, sort of, thanks for your help and good-bye. COLLINS: But when we hear the president talk about a surge, a so-called surge, you know, of 30,000 troops, and at the same time announce a plan for withdrawal or at least a time table for it, does it hinder the mission?
BERGEN: Well, you know, if you read his speech carefully he left a huge caveat in there. You know he talked about a conditions-based withdrawal in 2011. Well, right now, you know, Afghanistan has 34 provinces. Only one of them right now is actually, you know, completely controlled by the Afghan military and police.
So, you know, we could -- you could see handing over provinces to the Afghan military and police for their exclusive control at some point down the line. But, you know, that's going to be a decision that they make in the summer of 2011 and it's going to be conditions based.
And if it turns out that only two provinces are capable of being controlled, then it's only two provinces. And there won't be a big withdrawal. If it turns out it's 10 or 15, you know, it'll be different. So I think that caveat was very important. The headline was that, you know, there's a plan to get out in 2011. What was missed was how conditions based it is.
COLLINS: Yes. I guess some people are saying -- at least military analysts saying leave it altogether in the speech and know full well that contingency plans are always in the works. We'll continue to talk about it, obviously, here and one day after the president's speech.
Our national security analyst, Peter Bergen, this morning. Thank you, Peter.
Well, dozens of you, in fact, responded to our blog yesterday. We wanted to know what you think about the president's new strategy today, of course after the speech last night. Want to hear all about your thoughts, whether you think this is a good idea or whether you don't.
Go ahead and e-mail us on our blog. You can get a little bit more of the detail on the plan at CNN.com/heidi. We look forward to reading some of those comments from you next hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Marilyn Monroe, raw and unscripted. A home movie surfaces of the movie icon. We're going to show you a glimpse of her home life.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Checking our top stories now. It looks like the race for Atlanta mayor will be headed for a recount. With 99 percent of the vote counted, former state senator Kasim Reed has a slight lead over Councilwoman Mary Norwood in yesterday's runoff. Now get this, the two are separated by only 620 votes. Under Georgia law the candidate who loses by less than 1 percent of votes can cast -- or can request a recount. A glimpse of Marilyn Monroe few people have ever seen. A home movie showing Alicia Lee Monroe sitting around, smoking a cigarette, and laughing with friends. The four-minute film was packed away for 50 years by the woman who took it. A collector bought it for $275,000. Now he's helping her sell the copyright through an online auction that will begin tomorrow.
Lots of people watching Wall Street this morning after yesterday's Dow closed at a 14-month high, the markets open in just a few minutes as you know and investors are cautious as they consider a shake-up at GM and a new report on jobs.
Want to get a little bit more now from CNN's Stephanie Elam in New York.
So, Stephanie, yes, nice, nice rally yesterday.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, Heidi, we keep talking about if people were not in the market over these last few months, it's probably pretty painful to see what has happened over the course of this year but take a look at what the Dow has done since March 9th.
That's the day that we hit the low of the cycle. Look at that, we're at 6,547. And now as of yesterday, I know markets are about to open, but we closed at 10471 so that's a gain of 60 percent. During that same time NASDAQ better by 72 percent. You've got the S&P 500 up over 60 percent as well during that period. So a lot of strength there.
I can tell you one of the things that really helped out the markets yesterday was this issue about the Dubai debt.
COLLINS: Yes.
ELAM: And whether or not there was going to be a whole exposure of that to the United States. Well, it looks like it's being pretty much contained in Dubai. So when you take a look at that information that soothes some nerves around here that helped out the markets.
Also we had a little bit of information coming in on home sales. Pending home sales actually rising for the ninth month in a row in October. So remember that's where all of this trouble started was in the housing sector.
COLLINS: Oh yes.
ELAM: To see that things are starting to look better there as well is also giving people some hope here. But it definitely goes to show that if you take a look at the markets overall, after that low from March 9th we've been on a tear and it's expected to continue through the end of this month wrapping up this very difficult decade, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes. Yes. No question. Keeping it in perspective as you always do. You know where we were a while ago. Talking about 15,000.
ELAM: You have to. Yes.
COLLINS: Seems like eons ago. But listen, gold still going crazy, hitting new records, too, right?
ELAM: Yes, that's true. And maybe it's not the same way that some people would like to see it but it's true. Gold just on a tear. Yesterday it closed at $1,199 an ounce. At some place it has never been, trading higher again today. A lot of people going to gold for safe haven. The dollar was weak yesterday and overall has been troubled a bit on the weak side.
So because of that we've seen gold as sort of a safe haven people moving their money there. But gold definitely running up. If only we had crystal balls, Heidi.
COLLINS: I know.
ELAM: We all could have bought a bunch of gold.
COLLINS: Yes. And not quite so much...
ELAM: (INAUDIBLE) that way.
COLLINS: ... gold plate. Yes, very good. All right, Stephanie.
ELAM: Yes.
COLLINS: Thank you. We'll check back later on. Keep watching those numbers.
ELAM: Sure.
COLLINS: I want to head over to the weather center now. Severe Weather Center where Rob Marciano is standing by to give us the very latest.
Hey there, Rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: All right. We'll continue to watch it. Rob, thank you.
MARCIANO: You got it.
COLLINS: The view from Capitol Hill, we're asking a couple of congressmen who also served in Afghanistan to weigh in on the president's new plan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins.
COLLINS: As Stephanie Elam just told us a few moments ago the Dow closed yesterday at a 14-month high. I'm sure you are well aware of that. The direction today could depend on new reports on the labor market, though.
Susan Lisovicz is in New York with more details on this.
Good morning to you, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
It's the first of three straight days of labor reports. Payroll processing firm ABP says 169,000 jobs were lost last month. That's the eighth straight month that the number of job cuts has declined. A separate report also says the pace of layoffs is slowing.
Tomorrow we'll get the weekly jobs report, and Friday is the big one, the government's all inclusive monthly reading.
There was a big job cut at General Motors. CEO Fritz Henderson is out. The 25-year GM veteran stepped down late Tuesday and the government says it played no part in the decision. You may recall that the government ousted the previous CEO Rick Wagoner earlier this year, and the U.S. treasury owns more than half of GM.
The chairman Ed Whitacre, the former head of AT&T will serve as interim CEO until a replacement is found.
But there could be some job postings in the south thanks to German carmaker Daimler. It's moving some of its production to Alabama. Production of the Mercedes Benz C-Class will start in 2014. It could add 1,000 jobs. This is the bestselling Mercedes Benz here in the U.S.
And checking the numbers right now, we're seeing, well, we're not seeing much. We're seeing a little bit of giveback. But remember, we closed at 14-month highs, so for the first day of December, off to -- yes, I know. Well, you know, it could be an early Santa Claus rally is what we're seeing.
COLLINS: Nice. We'd like it to continue. Very good.
LISOVICZ: Through the end of the month.
COLLINS: No kidding. All right, Susan, we'll check back later. Thank you.
President Obama charts as new course in the Afghanistan war. Here are some of the highlights from last night's primetime speech.
The new war plan calls for 30,000 more U.S. troops to be sent there. The president says they would begin deploying early next year at the fastest pace possible. And that would boost the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to 100,000.
The strategy also carries an exit plan 18 months from now. President Obama wants to begin bringing troops home by July 2011. The president laid out his strategy but Congress wants to find out more about the mission. Right now the Senate armed services committee is hearing testimony in fact, on Afghanistan.
We listened earlier to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. We are now watching Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifying right now. Tomorrow Secretary Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen head over to the House Armed Services Committee, so we'll be watching that.
In the meantime, joining me now are two members of that committee, both also have unique perspectives on the mission. Republican representative Duncan Hunter of California served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an officer in the Marine Corps.
Democratic representative Joe Sestak served 31 years and retired as an admiral. He ran battle group operations in Afghanistan, now running for Senate. They both are joining me from Capitol Hill. Heck of an intro, guys. Thanks for being here. We sure do appreciate it.
I know you were all ears last night to the president's speech and the new plan for Afghanistan. Let me begin with you, Congressman Sestak. Listen with me if you would to a portion of the speech last night, clearly the main point of the entire address. And I'll get to your comment on the back side here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: As commander in chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interests to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home.
These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative while building the afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Representative Sestak, as a former commander, an admiral as we just said in the Navy, how do you feel about a commander in chief pointing out the mission, sending troops over, and then at the same time telling them that they will be coming back 18 months later? Can he do that?
REP. JOE SESTAK, (D) PENNSYLVANIA: I think this president made two things very clear. Very first off he said this is really, if you read the speech, not about Afghanistan. It's about Pakistan and the safe haven for Al Qaeda in that country.
Second, he is telling the Afghanis that there is going to a deadline by which we will begin pulling our troops out, and you will accept responsibility. But he did not say when we would have all the troops out.
I believe a better approach also would be to provide bench marks by which we might measure success and failure so we know how well this strategy is doing.
No, this president was resolute in making sure with the right decision that a measured increase would be focused on Al Qaeda that threatens us, but he made sure the Afghanis know that we are not going to be here all this time, so you've got to assume responsibility, because it's about Al Qaeda, not just your country.
COLLINS: Right, obviously. I tread speech and I watched the speech live.
Representative Hunter, I would ask why do you say a time table at all in this current speech? Everybody knows that there are military contingency plans that are worked on, there are always caveats. I just wonder about the choice to put the exit plan in the same sentence?
REP. DUNCAN HUNTER, (R) CALIFORNIA: First off I'm encouraged by the president's ability to make a decision finally, that he has finally made a decision on this and that he is giving General McChrystal what he needs.
The first rule of warfare, don't let the enemy know what your strategy is. You're going to have Taliban and Al Qaeda now saying to all of the Afghan people, all the different police people, different military folks, if you help them, we're going to kill you in about 18 months. Our surge, the big Taliban surge, is going to start July, 2011.
I think that was a mistake. The administration could have talked to Pakistan, could have talked to the Afghan government and said look, here is our timeline. It could have been secret. We didn't have to know about it. The Taliban didn't have to know about it. Al Qaeda didn't have to know about it. Osama bin Laden now knows when we're going to leave Afghanistan.
I think that was sending mixed messages. We're going to send you in, but we're going to pull you out in 18 months, and we're going to let everybody know what our strategy is. President Obama could have done that in secret. That would have been I think a much better move.
COLLINS: Representative Sestak, it's an interesting point, never letting the enemy know what you're doing on any level.
I also wonder about him talking about what a vital national interest this is, this portion of the world to the United States. If that's the case, don't you announce that your country, your troops will be asked to do whatever is in the best interests of the vital national security issue?
SESTAK: Yes. Without a question, and Duncan and I were in the ground in Afghanistan. That's an area of the world I have never seen people keep secrets.
All that said, it's very important for this president to make sure that two things occur. Number one, that after eight years of not paying attention to this theater of the war, because we paid attention to Iraq, and as the chairman of joint chiefs, said Afghanistan after two years was spiraling downward, that the public needs to know this is not going to be one where it's an open-ended commitment for Afghanistan.
But he made very clear in that speech that as far as Al Qaeda was concerned, and he included Yemen and Somalia, that we will hunt them down.
It's not about Afghanistan. He made that clear. We want to leave conditions there where the probability of Al Qaeda ever coming back does not exist.
He made it very clear that the success of the global war on terror is hunting Al Qaeda wherever they might be. And he said this is the epicenter of it, and we will find them there, or elsewhere. No, this president made that clear.
COLLINS: Let's talk for a minute if we could quickly to the both of you. Representative hunter, what about NATO? Are they going to be committing more to this fight?
HUNTER: NATO has to. That's pretty simple. I think that's one reason we have 30,000 and not 40,000 troops or 50,000, because we expect NATO to actually step up and supply us. We aren't talking about Great Britain, Canada, and Australia who have been overwhelmingly supportive of all of our operations in Afghanistan. We need the others to step up, too, Germany, France, Poland...
COLLINS: Is that going to happen with the speech last night?
HUNTER: I don't know. The president's really got to lean on these other countries. Secretary Gates has been leaning on them about a year and a half now. And we really have to get them in.
I don't know what the president can do to lean on them more. He's going to have to think of something, though. This is going to be seen as a big failure on NATO's part if they don't help us out to secure and achieve victory in Afghanistan, I think.
SESTAK: If I could comment on that.
COLLINS: Of course.
SESTAK: I was always taken, and Duncan is right, that we want to bring them into this. When I commanded a battle group after I was taken out of Afghanistan, I had 30 ship, and 20 of them were non-U.S. And we have to make sure we have a coalition that is in there with us.
But all that said, they struck us. And at the end of the day, four or five years from now, despite whoever else comes and helps us, if we are struck because we just didn't do our job because more didn't come from the other side, that's irresponsible. At the end of the day, this is our mission to do.
COLLINS: OK. Understood. I was just wondering obviously the article five that we talk about when we talk about NATO that came into play September 12th, that I remember of course, 2001, the day after September 11th.
Does an article five expire?
SESTAK: No.
HUNTER: Radical Islam and the jihad that's been committed against Europe, America, all of the western civilizations, it's a world issue, a global issue. And everybody should be involved in this. It shouldn't just be us. Europe's gotten struck too by Al Qaeda. They need to help us out here.
In fact, it's probably more in their interests, because you have all of these old Russian Soviet satellite state there is just north of Afghanistan. This is a very important area. It's probably more important to the European countries that they win in Afghanistan.
COLLINS: Well, certainly we will be watching very closely as we continue to get more information about the plan here and who is and who is not going to be committing their troops.
To the both of you, always a pleasure to get your perspectives, particularly because you have served and served so well. We appreciate your service, Representative Sestak and Representative Hunter. Thank you.
SESTAK: Thanks.
HUNTER: Thanks.
COLLINS: Top stories now.
One security officer is dead and another 11 people are wounded after a suicide bomb attack this morning in the heart of the Pakistani capital. It happened a little more than six hours ago in front of the naval headquarters in Islamabad.
A Navy officials says the attacker blew himself up just before he was about to be searched at a security check point.
The shoe is on the other foot for the Iraqi journalist infamous for tossing his footwear at then President George Bush back in December 2008 at a Baghdad press conference.
Musadar Al Zaidi was holding his own news briefing in Paris yesterday when someone threw a shoe at him. Al Zaidi's brother chased the shoe hurler and then popped him with, what else, another shoe.
No invitation and, apparently no reservations about what they did. What's next for the couple accused of crashing last week's state dinner and party? We'll follow a trail of e-mails for a possible answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: Well, the party's over, but the hangover remains for White House staffers and the Secret Service after last week's state dinner reception got apparently crashed by a Virginia couple.
CNN's Josh Levs has the latest on Beltway social climbing taken to an extreme. All right, Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right.
COLLINS: So this couple says hey, wait, we didn't crash.
LEVS: Right.
COLLINS: They just didn't get the call that they were not invited.
LEVS: Apparently, yes. That is what we're seeing today. And what's happening now is that these are getting a lot of traffic online.
The Associated Press has published e-mails, but the AP says they got it from a source, I'm going to give you the AP's words, they say it came from a source who got them in a manner that confirmed their authenticity.
Now, CNN has reached out to the Salahis and also to the government to confirm these and get our own copies. I'm going to show you the e-mail exchange now.
This is what it is. It's a conversation between Tareq Salahi and Michelle Jones who's a Pentagon official. She's special assistant to the Defense Secretary.
We've got some highlights for you. Let's get right to them.
This is how it goes. It starts off out with this first one which is from Michelle Jones to them saying, "Hopefully I can get tickets for the arrival ceremony. The state dinner is completely closed and has been for awhile. As soon as I know I will contact you." That was on Friday, the 20th.
Now, let's go to the 23rd, here's a response. From Tareq Salahi, "In preparations for tomorrow do you know what time we would need to be there and which entrance we should go through?"
Response from Michelle Jones now, "I'm still hoping that I can get tickets for the arrival ceremony tomorrow. They do have your information in the event that extra tickets become available and will notify me immediately."
COLLINS: Got you laughing.
LEVS: I know and what are you going to do.
COLLINS: I'm sorry.
LEVS: I mean, we are seeing you know, this back and forth that the nation is now so super interested in. Yes?
COLLINS: Yes.
LEVS: But I got to do justice to it. Let me keep going, because she says, but it doesn't seem likely.
Now, this is the next one from Mr. Salahi who says, "By the way, I know for a fact that these persons are unable to attend the dinner and reception," and then he goes to lists a few couples who he says he knows for a fact aren't going to be there. Apparently suggesting there should be tickets available.
Now let's look at the next day from Michelle Jones. We're almost at the end of this trail on the 24th. We are at "The arrival ceremony was canceled she says, due to inclement weather. They are having a very small one inside the White House, very limited space. I'm still working on tickets for tonight's dinner. I will call or e-mail as soon as I get word one way or another."
And this is where you get to the big announcement that they come out with. They write to her and they say thank you. This is the next one here. They say, "You are an angel. And says, my cell phone battery died earlier this evening while we were in DC from our country home so I just got your message. Now we ended up going to the gate to check in at 6:30 p.m. to just check in case it got approved since we didn't know. And our name was indeed on the list. We are very grateful and God bless you."
And finally, Michelle Jones responds and she says "You are most welcome." She says "I hear the smile in your e-mail. And I'm delighted that you and Michaele had a wonderful time. Have an extra ordinary Thanksgiving and many blessings to you both."
So, that's the exchange. By the way, we got to fix those dates. Some of those were dates after it was listed there but the basic idea here is they had this exchange with her and at some point ultimately they say they went. They say they were on the list, they say they are thanking her for having put them on the list and they apparently missed some kind of phone call.
This is what's getting everyone all excited. It's all over the Web, word for word from the Associated Press. You pretty much can't miss it today, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes.
LEVS: So you want to know what the exchange was, you're going to see it online.
COLLINS: Do you have any knitting needles that I can poke in my eyes?
LEVS: Tin foil to chew on for awhile.
COLLINS: Just kidding. LEVS: I know. A lot of people had enough of it already. But others cannot get enough of this. It keeps going on, top of Google, I'm telling you.
COLLINS: Ok.
LEVS: People all over the Salahi story.
COLLINS: I hear you. All right. It was a beautiful dress, a beautiful red dress.
LEVS: She looked great.
COLLINS: All right, Josh, thank you. We'll check back later on.
LEVS: I love my job. Thank you.
COLLINS: I know you do.
Hey, quickly we do want to take a look at this; something that's going on today. Almost immediately after the announcement last night of President Obama saying 30,000 troops will be going into Afghanistan, also announcing that there is a type of exit plan for 18 months later.
This is the Senate Armed Services Committee and they are taking testimony from several people today. We have already watched the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State and of course now we are looking at the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff there, Admiral Mike Mullen testify. We do expect a question and answer ceremony -- or forgive me, a session coming up in just a couple of minutes.
We will keep our eye on this and of course bring you any of those questions when they become available to us. A quick break here. We are back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: I quickly want to get you back to the Senate Armed Services Committee. We've been telling you about the testimony going on today. The chairman there, Carl Levin, beginning the questioning phase right now.
Let's go ahead and listen for just a moment.
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D-MI), CHAIRMAN, ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: In Helmand next year, according to Prime Minister Brown of Great Britain, there will be 10,000 more Afghan troops deployed to Helmand in the coming year to be divided approximately equally between U.S. and British forces for partnering.
So first, Secretary Gate, are my numbers correct?
ROBERT GATES, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Let me defer to Admiral Mullen. ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Chairman, I think your numbers as far as those that are currently partnered are correct; the availability of Afghan forces in the south in Helmand.
LEVIN: And in terms of what we expect to be deployed by Afghanistan for their troops...
MULLEN: Yes, sir. It sounds about right.
LEVIN: Ok. Now, I thought I heard the president at the meeting yesterday in the old executive office building say that we would not have our troops clear an area unless they could turn the cleared area over to Afghans.
Now, Secretary Gates, did I hear him correctly and if so how is that possible given the paucity of available Afghan forces?
GATES: Well, let me start and then invite Admiral Mullen to chime in.
First of all, clearly as I've indicated accelerating the growth of the Afghan national army and police is vitally important. But we are also looking as I have suggested in my remarks at local forces as well, partnering with local security forces so there are -- there is more than just the Afghan national police and the Afghan national army in this mix.
And the plan clearly is that we will not transition security responsibility to the Afghans until the Afghans have the capacity in that district or that province to be able to manage the security situation on their own with us and our allies initially in a tactical over watch and a strategic over watch situation. The reality is that circumstance very much as in Iraq differs from district to district and province and province.
So the ability of the Afghans to take this on will depend on the circumstances in each of these of areas and in some it will take fewer Afghans but clearly a big part of this is additional training both basic training but then partnering in combat as training to put more and more Afghans into the fight and into a position where they can take responsibility for security and particularly in the context of degraded Taliban opportunities.
One of the purposes of the U.S. going in with additional forces is not just to partner with the Afghans and not just to train the Afghans but to degrade the capabilities of the Taliban. And so you have the situation in which the capabilities of the ANSF are rising at a time when our combat forces are degrading the capabilities of the Talibans and it's the point at which the Afghans are able to handle that degraded threat that we would make the transition.
LEVIN: Do I understand from your answer there will be situations where our troops will be clearing an area and not have Afghans available yet at that point to turn that cleared area over to, is that fair? MULLEN: Mr. Chairman, I think it is. If I can just briefly when General McChrystal showed up in June there were no units partnered. There are some 280 units out of 351 right now who are partnered.
LEVIN: Not the three to one ratio.
MULLEN: No sir, we're not there yet. This is companies by companies. This is in training and in fighting.
LEVIN: My final question because I'm out of time. What will be the Afghan army's projected size by July 2011?
GATES: The goal by December of 2010 is 134,000?
LEVIN: My question is July of 2011?
MULLEN: It will be about 170,000.
LEVIN: Thank you.
Senator McCain.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Admiral Mullen, I think it's important to tell the American people it's very likely that casualties will go up during the course of this troop increase as envisioned.
MULLEN: Senator McCain, when we added Marines, when the 21,000 went in, I was very clear about the potential there that casualties would go up and I don't think there's any question that that is part of the risk associated with these additional troops and that they will go up.
MCCAIN: I think the American people need to understand that.
MULLEN: Yes, sir. I agree with you.
MCCAIN: Secretary Gates, in answer to Chairman Levin's question if I understand your answer, Chairman Levin said was the condition based on withdrawal plan for July 2011 and you said no. Will we withdraw our forces based on conditions on the ground or based on an arbitrary date regardless of conditions on the ground?
GATES: What we're talking about, Senator McCain, is the beginning of a process and not the end of that process.
Approximately 60 percent of Afghanistan today is not controlled by the Taliban or have significant Taliban influence.
MCCAIN: I have to say with respect, Secretary Gates, my question is will the day to withdraw of 2011, which the president said, be based on an arbitrary day of July 2011 regardless of conditions on the ground?
GATES: I think it's the judgment of all of us in the Department of Defense involved in this process that we will be in a position particularly uncontested areas where we will be able to begin that transition in July 2011.
MCCAIN: Let's suppose you're not. Let's suppose that conditions on the ground so that our commanders believe it would jeopardize the success of the mission if we start a withdrawal in July 2011. Would we do it anyway?
GATES: I think we'll be in a position, the president has indicated that we will have a thorough review of how we're doing in December of 2010. And I think we will be in a position then to evaluate whether or not we can begin that transition in July.
MCCAIN: I say with great respect, Secretary Gates, the president announced that we will begin withdrawing hard date of July 2011 which is -- I don't know why that date was particularly picked which may be time in another session. But -- so he's announced that. At the same time he said conditions on the ground would.
Now, those are two incompatible statements. You either have a winning strategy and do as we did in Iraq and then once it succeeded then with withdraw, or as the president said, we will have a date beginning withdrawal of July 2011.
Which is it? It's got to be one or the other. It's got to be the appropriate conditions. Or it's got to be an arbitrary date.
