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Possible Ebola Case in Newark Airport; Lone American in Syria Fighting ISIS; North Koreans in Seoul

Aired October 04, 2014 - 16:00   ET

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

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good afternoon, everyone. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Poppy Harlow joining you from New York.

We are following two developing stories this hour involving the fight against the fears about Ebola. At New Jersey's Newark Airport a sick passenger was removed upon arrival from Brussels and more than 250 people on board the flight were briefly quarantined. It is another sign of the heightened awareness of Ebola and its potential dangers.

The man who was sick was eventually transported to the hospital. Passengers were allowed to disembark and go through customs and make their way home. In the meantime the number of people in the Dallas area considered to be at a higher risk of developing Ebola has been reduced. This is good news. It has been reduced to nine. That is according to the latest data from government health officials.

And so far none of those nine people have shown any peoples of the disease. Also in Dallas, Texas, that Presbyterian hospital did announce that the Ebola patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, his condition has worsened. He is now listed in critical condition.

Our Martin Savidge is outside the hospital where Duncan is being treated right now. Our Cristina Alesci is standing by for us at Newark Airport. Martin, let me begin with you. This is very upsetting news, obviously, that his state has been upgraded to critical.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. It is. I mean, it's a mixture of bad news coming out for that particular patient. Good news for the overall containment of Ebola. So let's take it one at a time. The condition worsening that is now gone, as you point out, from serious to critical. We do not know anything beyond that.

In other words, we don't know what sort of additional treatment is being applied here or what may have led to his condition growing worse, we just know that it has. Meanwhile, the other effort is, of course, trying to identify anyone who may have come in contact with Thomas Duncan. Initially that list of people of potential contacts was at 114. They've systematically been sitting down and talking to everybody. This is a massive effort.

But it shows you the kind of footwork that's involved. The CDC has two groups that are going through all of this contact tracing they call it. It is critical to try to control the disease by actually making contact with anyone. They have whittled the list down from 114 to 50 of which you've just pointed out 10 of those people are considered high risk because they had direct contact. Four of those people are the people that are in quarantine. The others are medical people that may have come in contact with him.

All are being monitored and the most important news of all is no one outside of the original patient is showing any indication of Ebola. They continue to monitor the quarantine and the watch period goes on for some further time. Poppy?

HARLOW: That's very encouraging news. A lot of people want to know will this patient or has this patient Mr. Duncan received that experimental treatment ZMAP or any other treatment that has worked on those few cases that have been brought back to the United States? Do we know?

SAVIDGE: We don't know. And that was a question that was put directly to the CDC. I think the way the question was put was actually is or are those treatments available to him because we've been told at times that some of those treatments are in extremely small supply and they may have already been used in the previous cases you mentioned.

But apparently the CDC says those treatments are available but the choice to use them is up to the family of the patient and up to, of course, the doctors who are caring for the patient. We don't know if they have decided that is the proper course at this time.

HARLOW: Right.

SAVIDGE: Again, we should point out his treatment or his condition has grown worse, now critical. Poppy?

HARLOW: Let's hope that he is able to improve and recover. Martin Savidge, thank you for that reporting.

I want to go now to Cristina Alesci. She is standing by at Newark Airport on this story of that plane and those passengers that were quarantined. Christina, we know that a man coming from Brussels to Newark was vomiting on the plane. You had some officers on the plane with rubber gloves on. The CDC was responding.

But at this point that man has been taken to the hospital, right? And the passengers have been removed. So, do we know what the latest is? What could have caused this?

CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We don't know what the latest is because the CDC isn't telling us precisely where the man is from and, you know, how they were able to determine and assess whether or not to let those passengers off the plane so we have limited details on that front, but what we do know is the passengers as you mentioned have been allowed off the plane.

They were going through customs up until a few minutes ago. In fact, we spoke to a gentleman who said he was a family member of a passenger that was on the plane. He said that he's been waiting for his nephew and that his nephew actually had come from Liberia through Brussels. Here's what he had to say - HARLOW: I think it Cristina it sounds like we don't - it sounds like we don't have that sound. So can you just recap for me what he said?

ALESCI: Sure. He said, you know, he thought that the authorities were doing the right thing even though it's obviously a big scare, three hours he had been waiting - about two hours he had been waiting for his nephew, now longer and that he thought the authorities were doing the right thing because the precautions that are necessary given the heightened concerns about Ebola coming into the country. He thought it was the right thing to do.

HARLOW: But, again, Cristina, we do not have any indication at this time that the patient who was vomiting who is now being treated at the hospital has Ebola or any indication that he may, right?

ALESCI: That's exactly right. And without further details from the CDC as to how they came to the determination or how all the authorities involved here came to the decision to let those passengers off, we don't have any further details on what led them to make that decision. But one would think if you let passengers off the plane and -

HARLOW: Right.

ALESCI: - that were exposed to a potentially sick person that they had to have ruled out some kind of Ebola because they're not - the passengers coming off the plane aren't quarantined.

HARLOW: Right.

ALESCI: They're allowed to interact with other people so, you know, that would indicate that that was the case.

HARLOW: Yes. All right. We appreciate the updates on reporting. I know you're continuing to dig and try to get some of those answers from the CDC. Thank you, Cristina. We'll get back to you a little bit later in the show.

Meantime this, the response to the Dallas hospital that turned Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan away at first has caused a ton of concern. He was initially given antibiotics, he was then sent home for days. Now many are asking are U.S. hospitals properly equipped to handle an Ebola outbreak?

Our Kyung Lah looks at one hospital's protocol.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The first line of defense if there is an Ebola outbreak in the United States will be the nation's hospitals. So do they have a plan? At this one they do.

The patient will most likely come into the emergency room. And what this hospital, the Los Angeles County USC Hospital, here in Los Angeles, what they've put into place is essentially an action plan. The patient walks into the emergency room. You always check in. One of the first things they ask if it looks like the patient has a fever, is sweating, is nauseous, maybe even vomiting, did you travel to West Africa and there are signs all over this hospital saying that if you've traveled to West Africa in the last three weeks, you need to check if you have Ebola.

So, that kicks their action plan into place. They then transport that person to an isolation room. And it's exactly like what it sounds. You don't have contact with anyone except people who are prepared to deal with the patient who has Ebola.

So, what does a worker do before walking into the isolation room to deal with a potential Ebola case? They have to cover themselves from head to toe. They wear a mask. They cover their eyes. They wear a gown that is water impermeable so that no fluids can affect that hospital worker. They cover their feet. And they cover their hands and before they do any of that they wash their hands for 15 seconds.

Once they're in the isolation room they have to mark when they enter. They also mark when they leave. That is the case for anyone who walks into that isolation room. They follow CDC guidelines. If the patient is very sick, they double glove. They double gown. They basically isolate everyone who comes in who is a suspected Ebola case. Has it happened yet here in California? No. Do they expect that it might? Possibly. And they say with this case in Dallas, this hospital has to be prepared.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Kyung Lah, thank you for that.

Also our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta will have much more on the Ebola situation here in the United States and what is being done about it. "Sanjay Gupta, M.D." airs less than 30 minutes from now.

Coming up next here in the "Newsroom," an American reportedly on the ground in Syria actively fighting against ISIS and he may not be the only one. Is he doing anything wrong by being there? The answer ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: We're looking overseas now to Syria where a Kurdish group actively battling ISIS says there are three Americans fighting with them. One of them has now been identified as a 28-year-old named Jordan Mattson from Racine, Wisconsin. Mattson's friends said he told them last month that he was heading to Syria and he has now appeared on a Kurdish television station.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORDAN MATSON, CLAIMS TO HAVE JOINED FIGHT AGAINST ISIS: My name is (INAUDIBLE) I am from Wisconsin in the United States. I was previously a soldier in the United States Army. I wanted to come join because I got sick of watching so many innocent people be killed as Daesh grew and my country doing nothing about it for over a year. I got sick of everyone saying how bad it was but doing nothing about it, so I made up my own mind to come over here to do something about it. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right. Let's talk about this with our law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes. He's also former assistant director of the FBI and also Retired Lt. Col. James Reese, a CNN global affairs analyst joins us. Tom, let me begin with you. If this is confirmed that he has indeed traveled to Syria and he's from Wisconsin, an American citizen, as he says, is he breaking the law?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Hi, Poppy. I don't think so. I think we've had cases where Americans went to join in some fight overseas. He's not involved directly in a civil war to try to overthrow a foreign government which would be neutrality act violation. But we had American pilots go to help the Chinese before World War II, go to help the British in the battle of Britain in 1940 before we entered World War II, so I think there's a history of people going to help in a cause and in this case to try to defend the Kurds from invasion by an outside force, ISIS.

HARLOW: And to you, Colonel Reese, Jordan Mattson said he's a U.S. Army veteran, not that he's an active soldier but he's a veteran. So you can assume what sort of skills and knowledge he would have. But when you look at the situation and you look at the risk to any westerner over there, what do you make of it?

LT. COL. JAMES REESE (RET.), GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, first I give Jordan a lot of credit. It takes a lot of honor. It is takes a lot of guts to go over there and do something like this but there is some risk. I mean, as an American if he gets captured, he falls back into the propaganda aspect of what ISIS can bring. He brings capability to the Kurds there because of former military training so it's a risky situation for him. I give him a lot of credit.

HARLOW: What do you think, Tom Fuentes, in terms of the risk versus reward here? I mean, you heard the frustration in his voice saying "I'm doing this because for over a year my government, the U.S. government, didn't take action," you would assume that he was referring to before the air strikes. But at the same time, isn't he in - isn't he risking his life?

FUENTES: Oh, I think - I agree. It's a tremendous risk for him, and I think if he gets captured, not that they haven't already tortured people in a horrific manner, but I think ISIS would make a particular example out of him if they get their hands on him.

HARLOW: I want to talk to you, sir, about the broader pictures here, right? Here you have him on the ground, and when you look at this, Col. Reese, about the U.S. saying no boots on the ground, no American boots on the ground. This is someone with boots on the ground. Looking at the overall American strategy fighting ISIS, do you think that we will need to see boots on the ground?

REESE: Well, I've said from the beginning, Poppy, a couple weeks ago when this started we're eventually going to have to put boots on the ground especially over in Iraq. Right now we're doing a disruption operation in Syria. We're trying to take a safe haven away from ISIS. We may never get U.S. soldiers' boots on the ground in Syria but I do believe one day they will be in Iraq. Having Jordan over there right now I don't consider boots on the ground. This is just a brave man.

HARLOW: Right.

REESE: Who decided to take up a cause.

HARLOW: Yes. I think it's important to point out a lot of people look at this and say how can he have done this, it's the wrong thing to do but you know what? He's risking his life for what he believes in to your point to give him credit for that.

Appreciate it to both you, Tom Fuentes, thank you, Col. Reese, please stick around for a few minutes because I want to talk to you a little bit more, after the break, about the surprise visits the North Korean leaders made today to South Korea with smiles on their faces. What's it all about? Especially when North Korea's leader is M.I.A.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Two major stories we're covering this hour overseas.

A rare diplomacy in South Korea as three North Korean officials make a surprise visit there. And Pyongyang says it is willing to hold a new had round of talks in the next few weeks this as the world wonders where is North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un.

And in Hong Kong streets they are flooded again by those pro-democracy protesters. At least 20 people have been arrested and the ultimatum that came from the government, clear out by Monday or else.

Joining me now, again, is Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel James Reese. He joins us on the phone. Let's talk first about the situation between North Korea and South Korea, Colonel. Kim Jong-Un hasn't been seen in public for a month. And then you have this sort of weird surprise visit from North Korean officials to South Korea saying, all right, we're ready to have these high level talks again. What do you make of that?

REESE: Well, Poppy, you know, one thing the North Koreans are very good at is the propaganda game. If you keep in mind the Asian Games have just completed. They were very successful and the North Koreans haven't been in the news lately with Ebola, what's going on in the Middle East. So I see it as a big propaganda push to get North Korea back in the news and because the leaders - there's something going on with the leader. I see it as a propaganda push right now.

HARLOW: Yes but then why put - if something is going on with North Korea's leader why put themselves back in the headlines?

REESE: Because they just love being in the headlines. They want to be out there. They want to know what's going on. They want the world to know what's going on. And, again, I think the Asian Games having a lot to do with this. What's going on in Hong Kong right now, which people are going to talk about. You got a little bit of Asian spring going on over there.

So I think this is just a chance for the North Koreans to push back out to the world and let people know we're still out there, we're still important.

HARLOW: Let's show you what's going on in Hong Kong as we show you these unbelievable pictures from the student protesters who have now been there for eight days straight. Thousands of people filling the streets. Arrests made. Many say if neither side is backing down and the government says or else if you don't leave by Monday, are we on the verge of a Tiananmen Square type of violence potentially here?

REESE: Well, I don't think you'll see a Tiananmen Square apparatus type here. I think the Hong Kong Municipal Police Department are a very good police department. They've got a lot of skills and they're very disciplined. And I think they'll have a difficult time going as far as that happened in Tiananmen Square, but, you know, things are very interesting. I look at it as an Asian spring. I think these young students out there show a lot of courage, a lot of bravery for what they're doing to really push Hong Kong to doing free elections.

HARLOW: Yes and they say, look, you took back, you went back on your word. You said we could have full and free elections. Now you are saying Beijing has to vet whoever we vote for in the next election in 2017 and they are not having it and they have not left. Colonel James Reese, thank you so much. We appreciate it, sir.

REESE: Thanks, Poppy, have a good day.

HARLOW: Coming up -- you as well.

Coming up next the parents of a missing Virginia College student are speaking out. Their emotional plea after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: The parents of missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham made a desperate plea today for any information to help find their daughter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUE GRAHAM, MOTHER OF MISSING HANNAH GRAHAM: However, despite all of your efforts Hannah is still missing. Somebody listening to me today either knows where Hannah is or knows someone who has that information. We appeal to you to come forward and tell us where Hannah can be found.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Hannah was last seen in Charlottesville in that downtown mall area on surveillance footage. Her suspected abductor Jesse Matthew has been linked to another ominous case. Police say forensic evidence connects Matthew to another college student Morgan Harrington who was killed back in 2009. Joining me now to talk about it is law enforcement analyst, Tom Fuentes. Tom, that plea very hard to watch from her parents. Could it make any difference?

FUENTES: Poppy, I don't think so, you know, unfortunately she was probably in the hands of a sociopath who could care less what her parents think or anybody else thinks and would have virtually no remorse in committing this act.

HARLOW: In terms of the search efforts to find her, they have been intense on the ground there, you know, many have applauded the local officials there, the police chief of the town, drones are being used. This has been three weeks now, though, what else can be done at this point, Tom?

FUENTES: I think the investigation really is going to still hinge around whether Matthews was involved and if he was involved in her disappearance and possibly her murder, will he discuss it. Will he identify the location of where Hannah Graham is or where he dropped her off after he drove her that night.

I think that, you know, all of the drones and the search parties and everything it's a valiant effort but it's a huge area. And it's a large rural area around it with mountains and forests and ponds and streams and, you know, just - there's just so many places that, you know, it's really going to be a matter of luck if somebody, a farmer or somebody comes across the body on their property, or if the person who put her there talks about putting her there.

HARLOW: Well, let's hope it's not a body. Let's hope that she is found alive. Her parents certainly still holding out hope.

Tom Fuentes, thank you very much.

FUENTES: You're welcome.

HARLOW: CNN NEWSROOM continues at the top of the hour. A special edition of "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D.," though, on Ebola begins right now.