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Team USA Still Alive in World Cup; Secretary Kerry Arrives in Baghdad; Dick Cheney Vs. Rand Paul Over Radio

Aired June 23, 2014 - 08:00   ET

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


KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: He also opens up about the early challenges that he and the first lady first faced raising their daughters.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, Secretary of State John Kerry now in Baghdad, meeting with Iraq's prime minister. With hundreds of U.S. forces about to head in, this meeting could not be more important. We're live with the latest.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Your NEW DAY continues right now.

(MUSIC)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira.

PEREIRA: Look at the sites. Good morning and welcome back to NEW DAY. It is Monday, June 23rd, 8:00 in the East.

Here is some good news for you. It is not over for Team USA, despite the World Cup stunner at the last second in last night's game. U.S. can still advance to the knockout round of 16. That is where Chris is, in the middle of the action, in Brazil this morning.

Good morning, Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, ladies.

Not over. Where is the love? This was good what happened. Sure, they could have had three points with a victory.

But they got a point, they're moving closer toward making it out of the group of death. That's what they actually call this group. It was a really exciting game last night. And it was because of what came down in the final moments, another U.S. match, decided by a very late goal, but this time, the U.S. was the victim.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VDIEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can they do something here? It's Cristiano --

CUOMO (voice-over): From the beginning, U.S.-Portugal was bigger than a game.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were originally supposed to go to Spain. We thought we could put extra money to go to the World Cup.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We went to the game a couple nights ago. There was a bunch of Honduran fans and Ecuadorian fans. They wanted a picture with the U.S.

CUOMO: There is a mantra surrounding U.S. soccer, and bold predictions for Portugal match.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two-nothing, USA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to beat Portugal, 2-0 today.

CUOMO: Bravado put to the test before 40,000 in a stadium in Manaus, Brazil, 20,000 more packed in a rock concert atmosphere in Rio that dozens of nations colors you see reflecting the millions and millions more around the world, bearing World Cup witness.

But the most daunting audience, 11 men from Portugal, the old world masters. Among them, the king of soccer, Ronaldo. It only takes minutes for reality to strike the American side.

But now, it becomes a fairy tale, American drama. The atmosphere in the stadium, red hot, literally. The heat index above 90 degrees, forcing the first official World Cup water break.

The Americans rally soon after finding their opportunities. Defense led by human wall goalie Tim Howard denying Portugal again and again.

A second half brings a second wind. The crowd stirs as the ball begins to bounce between the white shirts and then -- Jermaine Jones finishes for a score heard from Manaus to Manhattan shaking the rocky cliffs. Once this spell is broken, the U.S. shows it is more than a one goal wonder.

Clint Dempsey, broken nose and all, displays why he is the captain. As the minutes tick down, it looks like a fairy tale ending, U.S. supporters are everywhere and need little coaxing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe that we can win. We believe that we will win.

CUOMO: Could they really avoid the venomous feet of the great Ronaldo? The answer -- yes, until less than a minute to go when another last second goal would mark a U.S. match. But this time, the U.S. falls victim.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cristiano Ronaldo. It is a great cross. It is an equalizer.

CUOMO: A tie isn't a win, but it awards the U.S. another valuable point, making its chances of moving on that much better, and showing the U.S. can go toe-to-toe with the best.

(CHANTING)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: We believe that we will win. This is very good.

Now, listen, here's why I'm taking this as a positive, because when Portugal scored in the first few minutes, you had to feel how the air was just sucked out of the stadium and sucked out of the -- all the U.S. supporters because this was the greatest fear. For them, to battle back in heat against a seasoned team with the world's best player, they're on it, Cristiano Ronaldo. That was a big deal for the U.S.

So, yes, they wound up having a victory taken from them. It's only a tie, it gets complicated. Can they make it forward?

But I think not only did they get another point toward advancing, they got something they needed more at this team. They got confidence that they can deal with adversity and go toe to toe with the best.

You know who else thinks that? Jermaine Jones, he was key last night. He was -- you could argue the man of the match, even though it wasn't the go ahead goal, it was the goal they needed to tie. And we spoke to him very early this morning when he had just gotten off the plane after the match.

And here is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERMAINE JONES, TEAM USA: I think the whole team, after the game was upset where we know that we have like 30 seconds to go. So, we will be like one of the 16 teams in the next round and -- yes, so we give Portugal a chance to come back and score a goal. But I think you make two mistakes and, yes, they score.

CUOMO: Let's talk about your goal. It was so important because after Portugal scored early like that, everybody started to think, no, you know, is tonight not the American's night? How did your goal happen?

JONES: The players was talking and say that we have to shoot more and some players come to me and say, Jermaine, you always shoot in training. You score a lot of scores in training, try to shoot and so, yes, I shoot. And in the end, we celebrate.

CUOMO: You did celebrate and rightly so. So, we were hearing about the heat. There was the first water break, right, called in the tournament because of the heat. What was it like, the conditions on the field?

JONES: The conditions were really hot, but the team show face and yes, we are 100 percent lucky that we already finished the group that we can say that we are done for the next round. So, we have to go still against Germany.

CUOMO: Did you feel the heat was affecting your play? Did it make guys feel a little bit slower or more tired?

JONES: No, what I'm saying before, it was not easy to play out there, but the team was fighting and everybody run for each other. You can see it after the first goal from Portugal. We try to push and try to come back to the game. Yes, we were 2-1 in front, close to 30 seconds for end of the game, so, I think the team -- the team makes a good job and a good work out there.

CUOMO: It's true, anybody can do it when it's easy, right? You guys show that you can come back when it was hard, even when it was very hot and go toe-to-toe with the best. Does that give you confidence into the Germany game?

JONES: I think the important stuff is that we always trust in ourselves and a lot of people were saying that this is the group of death and we have no chance to come to the next round. So, today, we were close to be one of the teams from this group to be maybe in the next round. So, we give it up with our own hands. But, yes, we have to -- what I'm saying before, we have to go and Germany is a tough team, but we have a lot of respect for this team. But we are not scared.

CUOMO: At least you'll know what they are saying on the pitch, right? You'd be like a spy out there.

(LAUGHTER)

JONES: Yes. If they talk German, yes, we have a lot of players that will understand what they are saying on the pitch, but I think it's not so important what their talk on the pitch. We have to stop them. They don't -- come play the game that they want and if we do that like a team, we have a good chance to win.

CUOMO: One more thing, the big chance that Americans have right now is all your fans were screaming "I believe that we can win, I believe that we can win." How do you feel? Do you believe that you can win when you go in the next match?

JONES: I believe the whole time. Before the World Cup starts, we know that we have a tough group and everybody was talking about this group. But I think the team -- the team is not important with the people outside talking. So, we 100 percent believe that we can make to it the next round. This is what we try on Thursday.

CUOMO: You looked great last night. You battled back. As you were saying, anybody can play from ahead. You guys showed you can do it when it's hard. So, hopefully, you carry to it the next match. And we'll be pulling for you.

I don't know if you can see me, but I got my U.S. -- I got the same jersey on that you guys wore last night. I don't look as good, but I feel as good for you guys this morning.

So, congratulations. Good luck in next match.

JONES: OK. Thank you. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: You know, Kate, I figured out something down here. I asked him, do you think you can win? Often, I would dismiss that question, I would hope he thinks he can win, he's in a match.

But remember, the coach of the U.S. team said I don't think it's realistic that we can win the World Cup. This team believes in the reality that it's hard to do this. And that you have to believe in yourself that you can do it and it's not going to be easy.

Now, some squads, if you have that, you know you played competitive sports, you have a victory taken from you in last moments like that, it can be a little tough to take. They could have used those three points. I don't believe this squad works that way. I believe they expect it to be hard. It is always hard for them.

And I think this was just a reminder for them and I think it puts them in the right place for the next game. And this chant of "we believe that we can win", I think it is the perfect motto, mantra for this team. It's all about believing in yourselves as you get out there, against the world's best when anything can happen.

BOLDUAN: And that is what everyone is hoping for from coast to coast, rooting for them, huge game coming up now against Germany.

Chris is leading the charge on the cheer for the United States team. Chris, thank you.

We're going to back to Chris in just a few moments. Of course, to continue our coverage of the world cup.

But let's turn our attention now to Iraq.

Secretary of State John Kerry has wrapped up a meeting with Iraq's prime minister, with hundreds of U.S. military personnel deploying to Iraq, the meeting could now be more critical. And it comes as the terror group ISIS is gaining even more ground.

Jim Sciutto has the very latest for us from Baghdad -- Jim.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Kate, these are difficult times for Iraq and the world if we don't cooperate. Those were the words of the Iraqi speaker of the parliament, just a short time ago, to Secretary Kerry. And that is the atmosphere here in countering here in Iraq, one of extreme anxiety, U.S. officials tell us, among Iraqi officials.

They fear for their country, they fear for their lives. They have lost homes in this country and this country lost a great deal of territory to these fighters from ISIS. The message from Secretary of State John Kerry, the U.S. stands with Iraq, it will help, but also that Iraq has to get its political house in order, and that requires a government that is inclusive of all sides, something that Iraq has not been able to achieve over the last eight years. And that's a real problem going forward. Another message that we hear

consistently from Secretary Kerry, this is not just an Iraqi problem. Message he's been given to the Egyptians before arriving here, the Jordanians.

This is a regional problem. In fact, it's a global problem -- a threat directly to the U.S. Remember the fighters fighting in Syria and Iraq, they have a lot of foreign volunteers, some of them even from America, and the concern is that they will return home and carry out attacks at home.

This is the real nature of the threat going forward. And, Kate, I was thinking as we were flying in today from Amman to Baghdad, in this C- 17 with Secretary of State John Kerry, we were flying over territory held by al Qaeda aligned militants. In fact, militants too radical even for al Qaeda. Al Qaeda kicked them out of the club, in fact.

That's a real danger going forward. That's what the Iraqis are presented with. That's what the U.S. is presented with.

And you get the sense that these 300 soldiers, that this is a longer term commitment than weeks or months. This is -- it's a problem that's going to take a long time to solve going forward, Kate.

BOLDUAN: It has been surprising for many just how quickly ISIS militants have gained ground and moved completely west into the Anbar Province.

Jim Sciutto on the ground in Baghdad for us -- Jim, thank you very much. He's traveling with Secretary Kerry. We'll be talking with Jim throughout the show.

President Obama speaking out about the Iraq situation. He did that in our interview, one on one. Does he think there is a chance for peace in that region? Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: You really believe in your gut that those -- this change can happen, that they can unify in Iraq?

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think we'll know soon enough. They don't have a lot of time. There is a timetable that is in place under their constitution. The good news is that so far at least, all the parties have said that we want to abide by the constitution.

So they had the chance. But, you know, ultimately what I think the vast majority of Americans understand is that we can't do it for them. And we certainly can't redeploy tens of thousands of U.S. troops to try to keep a lid on a problem if the people themselves don't want to solve it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: He also made very clear in that interview, he said no amount of American firepower can hold that country together. Of course, the question is, what in the immediate can do just that, hold that country together and hold off those ISIS militants.

PEREIRA: All right. Certainly a story we'll be following. Let's give you a look at some of the more -- some more of your headlines at this hour. Fourteen minutes past the hour.

Developing overnight: targeted strikes against nine Syrian military targets by Israeli jets. This came hours after an Israeli teen was killed in an attack from the Syrian border. It was the first fatal attack since Syria since civil war erupted there more than three years ago. This all amid heightened tensions as Israel continues to search for these teens. Three of them, abducted more than a week ago.

Breaking this morning, three journalists from al Jazeera have been sentenced to seven years in an Egyptian prison. They were arrested last year on charges including aiding the Muslim Brotherhood, endangering national security and aiding terrorists. Al Jazeera and U.K. officials have issued statements criticizing the decision.

Michelle Wie has won her first major. She won the U.S. Women's Golf Open, beating Stacy Lewis by two strokes. She bounced back from the double bogey on the 16th hole with a birdie at the 17th. The former golf prodigy played her first U.S. Women's Open when she was just 13 years old. Congratulations to her.

Big day in Atlanta ahead. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights officially opens to the public. The museum will showcase people who have changed American history through the civil rights movement and highlights human rights struggles from all around the globe. Definitely a place that we all want to put on our map when we go to Atlanta. A visit to be sure.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely.

Let's take a break. Coming up next on NEW DAY, Dick Cheney taking on a fellow Republican, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who is giving President Obama some very rare bipartisan back up on the situation in Iraq. Our experts will discuss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: If we were to get rid of Assad, it would be a jihadist wonderland in Syria. It's now a jihadist wonderland in Iraq, precisely because we got over-involved, not because we had too little involvement.

DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: If we spend our time debating what happened 10 or 11 years ago, we're going to miss the threat that is growing and that we do face.

Rand Paul, with all due respect, is basically an isolationist. He doesn't believe we ought to be involved in that part of the world. I think it's absolutely essential. (END VIDEO CLIPS)

BOLDUAN: What is going on? The debate over the Iraq conflict past and present, raging on.

You just saw former Vice President Dick Cheney firing back against Rand Paul, the Republican senator from Kentucky, who took to multiple Sunday shows to criticize supporters of the Iraq war.

Let's discuss with CNN political commentators, Ana Navarro, Republican strategist, and Sally Kohn, columnist of "The Daily Beast".

Good morning, you guys.

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

BOLDUAN: So, Republicans, a little warring going on what we should be doing or did do in Iraq, Ana. What is going on here?

NAVARRO: You do know. Republicans warring is not new, right? We become just slightly used to this.

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: It's not new, but is still news, I would argue, an important issue like this.

NAVARRO: You know, I think this is going on around the country, though. I think there is a faction that is represented by Rand Paul and when I go around the country, people, even Democrats tell me they agree with Rand Paul on this.

So, there is some war fatigue wariness and people who don't want to get involved see no purpose to it and then the more hawkish folks on Democrat and Republican side who are saying if we don't get involved, the risk is gigantic and they're planning and it could come back and they could hurt us here on our home land.

So, I think you are seeing this play out, all over the United States, and, yes, in the airwaves by Republicans.

BOLDUAN: What is the role of lawmakers on Capitol Hill or former vice presidents in this debate right now, Sally, do you think?

SALLY KOHN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Which former vice president? I mean, if the former vice presidents who helped make the fake case for the war, who were naive about what it would take to win the peace, not only the military strategy, but the political strategy, said, no, no, we'll be greeted as liberators, everything will be fine. Those differences between Sunnis and Shias are not that important, those aren't the people we trust at this point to go back and advise us now.

Let's be very clear. The Bush administration got us into this war, wrong headedly on false pretenses. They botched it. And now we're seeing the result of that botched war that the American people, Ana is right, don't want to get into again and we can't solve. This one, Rand Paul is correct.

NAVARRO: I actually agree with some parts of what you say. I don't think Dick Cheney is the best person to be making this case, frankly. He's got a lot of baggage and he's a polarizing figure.

I would advise him to take a page from George W. Bush's book, maybe do a little painting, and not get in the mix of the next administration. There is plenty of Republican voices in Congress, people like John McCain, people like Marco Rubio, people like Rand Paul who can represent the different factions, bring up the hard questions, who are getting the classified briefings and have the current information, not a former vice president who is so polarizing and who is out there fly fishing, maybe he should go take a few more hunting lessons.

KOHN: Right. But there is also something that Rand Paul said, which is really important to know. He said this is not President Obama's fault.

BOLDUAN: Ii was just going to bring up that, Sally. He says, "I don't blame President Obama. Has he got the solution? Maybe there is no solution." And he goes on to discuss that.

NAVARRO: You don't think we should have gotten into the war. You don't blame President Obama certainly. But I think there is -- he's now been president for six years, and there are things that have gone wrong and there are people who have an issue with announcing the timeline of retreat and leaving nobody there.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: Let's look forward.

NAVARRO: Just to be fair.

BOLDUAN: For Rand Paul, with his clear political aspirations going forward, that kind of line, is that a problem for him or is he a unique position as conservatives/libertarian?

NAVARRO: Both. I just saw him recently speak at the Romney retreat. And certainly in front of the big Republican donors and bundlers, this is an issue and he's trying to be more nuanced than he's been in the past. But also, there is this part of America that doesn't want to get involved in these issues anymore.

And he's speaking straight to them. I think it is a double-edged sword. It could be a double-edged asset.

KOHN: You know, it's really funny. It's hard to be a Republican these days and anyone who's going to try to run for president on the Republican ticket, someone like Rand Paul, very appealing to the mainstream America. I'll be honest there. But the chance of getting through the gauntlet that is the Republican base of voters right now, where, first of all, you can't actually speak the truth and get -- you can't talk about climate change, you can't talk about Obamacare, you can't talk about this war is not Obama's fault.

NAVARRO: You mean Hillary Clinton is speaking so much truth to power.

KOHN: So, you certainly -- you certainly cannot not blame Obama for absolutely everything. That's a nonstarter.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: You said it's difficult to be Republican right now. You can argue that it is also difficult to be President Obama right now. He really -- this is a difficult situation that republicans are arguing there is no clear path to what he's trying to do in Iraq or not do in Iraq. Rather saying you need to bring political reconciliation, which in the immediate seems very difficult to pull off.

Does the president have an issue he's facing here?

KOHN: Well, I think the president has an issue that is a proxy for the country's issue on this. This is a very hard situation with no easy choices. And it is not clear -- look, there is a certain you break it, you own it kind of situation here, whether you like the war or not, we are responsible for destabilizing the country in a way --

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: Is he answering to what Democrats want? Are Democrats clear on what they want?

KOHN: I think Democrats and the majority of Americans do not want to see more boots on the ground, do not want to see us re-enter this war.

Now, look, personally, I think this doctrine of preemptive war and prevention, sort of some day they could come and threaten us, some day it could become a problem -- that's what got us into the war in the first place.

(CROSSTALK)

NAVARRO: I think the question is, is President Obama, is he clear on what he himself wants? He gives a lot of different signals when it comes to foreign policy. We have seen him do it in places like Syria.

It is a difficult time to be President Obama. He's got a bunch of domestic scandals and problems, things like the V.A. issue, it is a big issue. And at the same time, the world is falling apart on him and there is no such thing as the Obama doctrine and people see America as weak.

There is no clear direction as to what we're doing.

KOHN: Here is the thought about President Obama on foreign policy, right? We know in the Middle East, in the wake of the Arab Spring, the countries where it worked, the countries that are on their way to self-determination and democracy, are the countries where the United States didn't intervene, because you don't have a country going in and trying to sort of pick sides and pick winners and losers. That doesn't help democracy, certainly didn't help in the Middle East.

(CROSSTALK)

KOHN: But that happens to be the case here and the president rightly knows there is nothing he can do, the United States can do, to solve this tension. They want to help create stability, that's his choice. But, come on, to say it's not leadership, when every time the United States tries to lead --

(CROSSTALK)

NAVARRO: -- the United States think there is nothing they can do. Certainly, the generals, the people that have risked their lives, some of them lost their lives on this, know that there is something that can be done and should be done to make sure that this was not all for naught.

KOHN: I don't trust the people who got us into this in the first place to be the ones to --

NAVARRO: They're not longer in power. There is another regime in power. And they're the ones that have got to make a decision.

BOLDUAN: You should be looking at each other, not at me.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: We're going to hug it out in the break.

Ana, Sally, thank you guys so much. Always great to have you. Great perspective on a difficult situation. That goes completely without saying. Thanks, guys.

Michaela?

PEREIRA: All right. Kate, thanks so much.

Next up on NEW DAY, Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is now an outpatient. He's being exposed to more people as he continues his reintegration. But still, no family reunion? We'll have a live report just ahead.

CUOMO: All right, Mickey, I've got the fever. World Cup fever. You should have it too. We're down here in Brazil. We want to show you why this place is called o Pais do Futebol. What does that mean? We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)