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New Day

ISIS Takes Air Base; Three Mothers Brought Together by Grief

Aired August 25, 2014 - 08:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, here we go with the five things you need to know for your new day.

At number one, an American held hostage by Syrian rebels with ties to al Qaeda, he is free this morning. Peter Theo Curtis was captured in October, 2012. White House officials say he's on his way to Tel Aviv and will be reunited with his family soon.

ISIS has gained control of a key military base in northeastern Syria. The group has now completely taken over the entire province. Syria's government says it is willing to work with the U.S. to stop terrorists.

Michael Brown will be laid to rest today in Missouri. Community organizers in Ferguson have issue aid two-day call for action, beginning today, with a student walkout to honor what would have been Brown's first day of college.

People in wine country in California now enduring dozens of aftershocks. Schools in the area are closed. Power is back on, though, for the majority of people.

The chances of a cease-fire in the Middle East have hit a wall amid a volatile weekend. Palestinian officials say at least 16 people were killed by Israeli strikes, including a Hamas financial leader. Four Israelis were also injured in a mortar strike near the Gaza border.

We always update those five things to know. So be sure to visit newdaycnn.com for the very latest.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Always updating the five things.

PEREIRA: Always. Right now.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We'll do. Thanks, Michaela.

BERMAN: Next up for us on NEW DAY, ISIS taking over key parts of Syria. Should the United States now do more to stop the militants from gaining even more ground?

CAMEROTA: Plus, on the day Michael Brown is laid to rest, we speak exclusively to his mother, as well as two other women who also lost their sons to violence. Their emotional, powerful interview straight ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everyone.

This morning, President Obama set to meet with his advisers to discuss the growing threat from ISIS in Syria. Overnight, the militant group took control of a major air base. All this as American Peter Theo Curtis is now free after being held captive by an al Qaeda affiliate in Syria for two years. Joining us to talk about this is Clark Kent Ervin, the former inspector general of the Office for Homeland Security. He's now the director of the Aspen Institute's Homeland Security Program and a partner at the law firm of squire, Patton, Boggs.

Clark, thanks so much for being with us. I really appreciate it.

CLARK KENT ERVIN, DIRECTOR, ASPEN INSTITUTE'S HOMELAND SECURITY PROGRAM: My pleasure, John.

BERMAN: The news that we got overnight is about this air base in Syria, the Tabqa Air Force base, a key base in that region of Syria, falling to these ISIS militants. It seems like this group is like a hydoa (ph) -- you cut off head maybe in Iraq, two more grow in its place. They seem to be spreading in Syria. What can be done to stop their -- their advances? What should be done in your mind?

ERVIN: Right, John. Well, there's no question but that ISIS is a huge concern for the United States and a growing one. They controlled huge swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria. They captured this air base now. I think it's the third military base they've captured. It underscores their military prowess. There are about 2,500 westerners, of whom there are about 100 or so Americans who have gone there to train and to fight with them. Just a plane ride away from the United States, as the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said yesterday.

So, what should we do about it? I think it's past time for us to conduct air strikes in Syria. And it appears as though the president is inching toward that. I think that won't be sufficient, though. I think we're going to need boots on the ground. That's not to say another large-scale invasion, of course. But I think we're going to see an increase in the number of special operations forces, both in Iraq and ultimately in Syria. We've got to get better intelligence. And our intelligence is hampered by the withdrawal from Iraq and by - by our relatively light footprint to date in terms of intelligence in Syria. And there's the Snowden backlash, as well, which means that our signals intelligence in that part of the world has also been ratcheted back. It's a very - a huge, huge concern.

BERMAN: You mention that phrase, "boots on the ground," illustrating perhaps special forces might be on the ground in Syria. It's a very different situation in Syria, though, than it is in Iraq. In Iraq, at least, we have a government tolerant if not actually a U.S. ally there. The Kurds are certainly U.S. allies. But in Syria, who is the ally? The United States says they still want Bashar al Assad to be gone. Wouldn't special forces be caught between, you know, opposing forces there?

ERVIN: Well, it's a very good question, John, and I think it raises the larger question of whether there should be a tacit and covert alliance between the United States and Assad now. I mean one of the problems in the Middle East is that there are -- there's no black and white. There's a lot of gray in that region. And as between threats, it seems to me that the Assad regime is less of a threat to American interests, to western interests now, than ISIS. And so I think we're going to see precisely that alliance developing with the Assad government ironically enough.

BERMAN: I don't want to let that pass because you just said a remarkable thing, especially for your wine (ph), one year to when the United States was considering air strikes against the Assad regime in Syria. Now you are suggesting a tacit alliance with Bashar al Assad to defeat ISIS.

ERVIN: And I think that's exactly right. And it just goes to show how I think how ill-timed and ill-conceived our policy has been in that part of the world. I've generally been a supporter of the administration's foreign policy, but I think it was a huge mistake on the part of the administration not to have conducted air strikes, not to have armed the rebels in a really robust way early, two or three years ago, when this fight against the Assad regime began. Now we have this growing threat in Syria, in Iraq, and it seems to me that we have no question that -- there's no option but to ratchet up our forces and to, as I say, engage in this tacit alliance with him because as between the two he is the lesser of two evils.

BERMAN: Of course there are analysts who say, had we armed the quote/unquote rebels in Syria over the last year or two, those arms would now be in the hands of ISIS creating even more problems for U.S. forces. I understand -

ERVIN: In my -

BERMAN: Your response would be?

ERVIN: My response to that would be that those weapons have already wound up in the hands of ISIS and other terrorists there. So it's a very, very murky situation. There is no good unalloyed answer. It's very, very difficult. But we are where we are. And now with the beheading of Mr. Foley, I think a corner has been turned and I think the administration has been seized by the gravity of the threat and I think we're going to see a much more robust response going forward than we've seen today.

BERMAN: I want to talk about hostages for a second. You brought up James Foley. Obviously an awful outcome with him but a much different outcome with Theo Curtis, released over the last 24 hours by al- Nusrah. Does this release, does this negotiation between the Qataris and al-Nusrah provide any kind of blueprint for a way to perhaps get some of these American hostages freed over the coming days and weeks?

ERVIN: Well, that's unclear, John. Clearly the Qataris were key in this. And that points out the advantage to the United States of having friends and allies like the Qataris who have friendships and alliances with groups with which we don't. Because they did have this relationship, they, the Qataris, with the al-Nusrah front, an offshoot of al Qaeda that is less brutal, less savage than ISIS, they were able to broker this. It's unclear whether a ransom was paid in this case. The Qataris say that one was not and perhaps it's true. Perhaps it's not true. And if it isn't true, it also would point out the advantage to us of having a relationship with a country that has not just different relationships than we, but also different policies than we. I hope that no ransom was paid because clearly that would just increase the likelihood of Americans being taken hostage going forward.

BERMAN: What a complicated situation on every front there. Clark Kent Ervin, thank you so much for being with us. Appreciate your help.

ERVIN: Thank you, John.

Next up on NEW DAY, on the day that Michael Brown is laid to rest in Missouri, we will hear from his mother and the mothers of Sean Bell and Trayvon Martin. All the women lost their sons to gun violence. Violence in some cases at the hands of police. The CNN exclusive ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm OK.

LEMON: You all right? This is a beginning for you. But these ladies are here. Do you feel the support that people have for you?

(END VIDEOCLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Michael Brown will be laid to rest this morning in Missouri. And we have a CNN exclusive interview with three mothers who are connected through the death of their sons.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CAMEROTA (voice-over): CNN's Don Lemon sat down with Michael Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, along with Sybrina Fulton, who lost her son, Trayvon Martin, in 2012 when he was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, and Valerie Bell, whose son Sean died in a barrage of bullets by New York City Police in 2006. The three mothers came together to help each other cope with the loss and with their futures. Don Lemon joins us now from St. Louis.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CAMEROTA (on camera): Don, what an intense interview you conducted.

LEMON: Oh, it was intense. It was the first time, Aliysn, that the three women had met. Sean Bell's mother and Trayvon Martin's mother had met, but it was the first time that they met Michael Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden. It was an emotional interview, as you said. It was intense. But there was also something in it that was very helpful that will prove to be, hopefully, very helpful to Michael Brown's mother. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, momma. Hey, momma. God bless you. God bless you.

LEMON (voice-over): An emotional embrace.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just lean on him. He going to cover you. He going to cover your family. And he going to make sure you're okay.

LEMON: The mothers of Trayvon Martin, Sean Bell, and Michael Brown meeting for the first time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to keep your head up, no matter what is done. Keep your head up. You can see your son in you.

LEMON: We stepped out of the room. We'll see you in a few minutes. Giving them time alone before starting our interview.

LEMON (on camera): What can these moms, these women, they can offer something that the guys can't, right? That husbands can't.

LESLEY MCSPADDEN, MOTHER OF MICHAEL BROWN: Yes.

LEMON: What can they offer you?

MCSPADDEN: They're speaking to me from experience. You know? They are offering me something right now that I can't tell you what it is. But it's something. And something is more than nothing.

LEMON: When we were standing there, waiting to meet her, you turned to Valerie, Sybrina, and you said, "Are you having flashbacks of this moment?"

VALERIE BELL, MOTHER OF SEAN BELL: Yes she did.

LEMON: When it was the day before the home going --

BELL: Yes, (inaudible) strong part of the flashback is my son eight years ago, that was my flashback. Thinking of her at that time, her son was 10-years-old when it happened. And I thought to say to her, keep the memories in your heart, that's going to help you to continue to carry on with your son, and believing and having faith in God will also help you and the close family members. That's what keeps me, the memories of my son. He always did tell me, "Ma, I got this." So I'm telling you, ma, you got this. It's okay to cry, scream, I still do. It's eight years, but you got this.

SYBRINA FULTON, MOTHER OF TRAYVON MARTIN: You have to focus on when he was smiling. You have to focus on his first day of school, and you have to focus on Christmas day and things like that. The happier times. Put a picture up when he was happy.

BELL: Yes.

FULTON: And you have to focus on those. Just don't focus on the death, because that's going to eat away at you.

LEMON: And Lesley, you know, its hard and you're probably thinking right now that, I'm sure it doesn't seem real to you. These ladies are examples that you can survive this. I don't know -- I can't -- maybe I'm not putting it in the right words, but can you ever be whole again? Can you ever -- how would you put it?

FULTON: I don't think it's a matter of being a whole. What I think it is is a matter of a new life. This is the new life. I can never go back to who I was and what I was because I'm missing something very precious in my life and something very special.

BELL: Losing my son was like losing a part of your body. But you remember, you remember what that part of your body has done for you. Like if you lose an arm, you knew what that arm did. So my thing is keeping the memories that will keep you and carry you on.

LEMON: I want you guys to talk about it because it's going to be very difficult and you have dealt with it, is character assassination. I think you describe it as character assassination, one of you. What do you mean by that?

FULTON: That means that people that don't even know her son is going to say negative things about him just to portray him in a different light, in a negative light, just to try to justify what happened.

LEMON: Is that one of the hardest parts of, are you even thinking about that, about people talking about your son?

FULTON: No, the hardest part for her is going to be the home going service. As I have said, that is the absolutely worst day of her life as a mother. There is no words that can bring comfort to her, as a mother, by seeing her son in the casket.

LEMON: Do you go around the house, in the kitchen, do you talk to Trayvon?

FULTON: Absolutely. Absolutely.

BELL: Yes.

FULTON: Absolutely.

LEMON: Do you?

BELL: Yes. If I know something has to be done, ma, I got this. Say the saying, ma, I got this.

LEMON: Do you do the same thing, Lesley?

MCSPADDEN: Especially when it rains. Yep.

LEMON: When it rains, why?

MCSPADDEN: Something about the rain. Something about it.

LEMON: That makes you want to --

MCSPADDEN: I feel him. He's there.

BELL: Uh-huh.

FULTON: He's there, he's there. He's watching over you.

LEMON: What was it like meeting her?

BELL: I'm glad I did meet you. It brought back memories of my son, and I just thought of your son.

FULTON: It's hurtful, but at the same time, it's -- it's comforting because I know she needs people that understand what she's going through.

LEMON: And Lesley, what was it like meeting these ladies? They've been saying everything, how they feel about you. What's it like meeting them? What do you want to say to them?

MCSPADDEN: I'm sorry what you had to go through.

I'm sorry about yours, too.

LEMON: Thank you all.

FULTON: We got you. We got you, baby. We got you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: So you could see during that interview that those ladies had to finish her sentences. That's what she can expect from those ladies. And sadly from a sorority, Alisyn, John, of women and parents who are having to deal with very similar situations. She had just come from the funeral home to make sure that her son was okay for the burial, for the casket. And now today, she is laying him to rest.

CAMEROTA: Don, it is so hard to watch. Michael Brown's mother looks so shattered. I mean, her whole body language, she's curled over on herself. Did you get the feeling that she did get any comfort or lift from being with them?

LEMON: Absolutely. And she said she did. I asked her during the interview, I said what do you get from these ladies. She goes, I don't know, but it's something. They've been there. And can I -- can I just say this -- we've heard so much hatred, so many negative words. I'm not even going to read Twitter today. After the interview aired earlier today, I looked on Twitter because I wanted people to see it and making sure that we got it out there. And people were saying such vile, disgusting, bigoted, ignorant things.

No mother should ever go through this, regardless of the circumstances. So I'm taking a break from Twitter and I'm asking people who are out there, regardless of where you are, just stop it today. Let the woman bury her son. Think about this as a parent, as a human being. Regardless of how you feel about the officer or about her, today she's laying her child, a teenage boy, to rest. Give it a rest, everybody. Just be human today. Be a loving person.

BERMAN: With everything that's happened, if she's even had a chance to mourn over the last two weeks. I hope she does get the chance to do it today.

LEMON: She hasn't really, she hasn't really.

CAMEROTA: She looks like she's processing in real time. Don, thanks for that beautiful interview. Really powerful.

PEREIRA: Thank goodness she has those friends and the people in the church to support her because you don't have the strength to stand up yourself, but you can lean on others.

CAMEROTA: Yes, and that's what you heard them saying, that God will help her.

BERMAN: Alright, next up, words of wisdom from an 8-year-old child. A class assignment in Louisiana becomes an inspiration to U.S. troops. It is the Good Stuff, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Alright, here we go. Monday, Good Stuff. Four simple words. A class assignment by a frank, 8-year-old Louisiana boy became a source of inspiration for U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan. Gavin Brint's handwritten message, "hope you make it," signed only with his first name. His teacher originally thought this is too blunt to send and would be taken in a negative way.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

PEREIRA (voice-over): But Gavin's remark quickly became an uplifting motto for the airmen and soldiers deployed 8,000 miles away. It found its way onto posters and mugs and coffee cups. They embarked on a mission to find the author. Local journalists, including the "Shreveport Times" ran a story with the headline "Who is Gavin? Help make it happen." 8 months later, the Gavin fan club, as they call themselves, finally got to address their namesake over Skype.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every time we went somewhere or did something, it was hope you make it. I'm not real sure how at such a young age something so wise could come out of such a small body. And we really -- we're really, really glad that it did.

PEREIRA: Look at the face. Hope you make it.

BERMAN (voice-over): Sometimes the simple message is the best.

CAMEROTA (voice-over): Says it all.

PEREIRA: It says it all.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

BERMAN (on camera): Alright, that is all for us this morning. Thanks so much for being with us. It is now time for "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello. Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO: Thanks a lot. Have a great day, guys. NEWSROOM starts now.