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Vinson Leaves Hospital; Obama Comments on Ebola; Imprisoned ISIS Fighters Talk; Washington Shooting

Aired October 28, 2014 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Here we go. Top of the hour. Great to be with you. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

The president of the United States will be speaking in just about an hour from now, we have just learned, on the Ebola situation as it stands this afternoon. All of this as infected nurse Amber Vinson, here she is, minutes ago, Ebola free, has just been released from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, speaking just a short time ago. Here she was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMBER VINSON, EBOLA SURVIVOR: I'm so grateful to be well. And first and foremost, I want to thank God. I sincerely believe that with God all things are possible. While the skill and dedication of the doctors, nurses, and others who have taken care of me have obviously led to my recovery, it has been God's love that has truly carried my family and me through this difficult time and has played such an important role in giving me hope and the strength to fight.

I also want to take a moment to publicly thank my dear grandparents, my aunt and my uncle who have been visiting me here at Emory, supporting me and making sure I knew my family was there for me throughout my illness. And to my family, who played such an important role in my recovery by being there every minute, every day, even though you couldn't be close. Mom and Derek (ph), I want to express my love and sincere thanks.

While this is a day for celebration and gratitude, I ask that we not lose focus on the thousands of families who continue to labor under the burden of this disease in West Africa. Thank you to Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, both of whom were successfully treated here at Emory, for your donations of plasma for me and other patients. And, thank you for your leadership in helping to educate the public about this difficult but treatable disease.

I want to sincerely thank the professionals who have contributed to my care here at Emory health care and at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas. As a nurse and now as someone who has experienced what it's like to be cared for through a life threatening illness, I am so appreciative and grateful for your exceptional skill, warmth and care. Finally, my family and I would like to thank many people whose prayers

have helped sustain us. As we head back home to Texas, we are grateful, and we respectfully ask for the privacy my family and I need at this time. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Amber Vinson was one of two young nurses infected with the Ebola virus at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. The other nurse, Nina Pham, was released from a Maryland hospital Friday. Remember, we saw the president embracing her, saying hello. Both of those nurses contracted Ebola treating the man on the right side of your screen, Thomas Eric Duncan, who had died from the disease.

Nurse Amber Vinson's release comes as the Centers for Disease Control issues more new guidelines trying to quell the backlash after another nurse, Kaci Hickox, was forced into quarantine in New Jersey after arriving from West Africa despite being asymptomatic. The CDC's new measures are based upon risk. And when you go through all of them, one guideline does recommend restricted travel for the highest level of exposure to the disease. People who have come in direct contact with infected bodily fluids.

But for nurse Amber Vinson, who we've just seen is released is Ebola free, she is free of any restrictions. CNN national correspondent Nick Valencia is there for me in Atlanta.

And, Nick, it was so interesting listening to the doctor there at Emory, you know, ask, how did the two nurses in particular recover so quickly? And I thought he made a great point that, you know, a, they are younger, and, b, perhaps they were -- because they were wearing that personal protective gear, they were exposed less.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Dr. Bruce Ridner, he's the director here the serious communicable disease unit here at Emory University and he did mention that perhaps doctors here and nurses and health care staff may have changed the algorithm about how aggressive doctors and health care providers can be in treating the Ebola virus. As you mentioned, Brooke, Nina Pham and Amber Vinson were two of the youngest patients that came down with this virus and that could have contributed to the relatively quick recovery.

They also -- he also went on to say that it was critical for all the staff, more than 100 staff personnel, including lab technicians, doctors, nurses, maintenance personnel, all helped in working on these four patients who were brought here to Emory University. And this is really a moment that is 12 years in the making for Ridner's career. It was back in 2002, Brooke, that CDC representatives came to him, came to Emory University and asked to build this isolation unit, the serious communicable disease isolation unit, which was initially intended to be a secure place for CDC workers who were returning from the hot zone, returning from areas where they could have contracted an infectious disease. And today you saw at that press conference, all smiles, a very successful past couple of weeks here for Emory University Hospital. Four different Ebola patients, all of them treated here, all of them discharged, free of the Ebola virus. Brooke.

BALDWIN: As we've learned from previous patients being released, obviously we wish them well, but it is a journey - it is a journey to full recovery. Nick Valencia, thank you so much, in Atlanta for me.

And as we mentioned at the top of the hour, we are now waiting on the president to speak specifically on the Ebola situation here in the United States. We've just learned he is scheduled to make those remarks just about 50 minutes from now, 2:55 p.m. Eastern Time.

So let's go to the White House to our senior correspondent there, Jim Acosta, who is standing by.

So we know 2:55, Jim. Do we know specifically what he'll be addressing?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's going to be coming out of a conference call that he will have just wrapped up with the USAID, the agency for international development team that is coordinating the Ebola response in West Africa. So I assume he'll have some comments about that.

But, of course, Brooke, we're going to be looking for the president to make some comments on all sorts of things. This flare-up that has cropped up in the last couple of days between the CDC, the Obama administration, and the governors of New York and New Jersey with respect to their quarantine rules in those states, and also this issue of where is Ron Klain, the Ebola response coordinator. A lot of questions being asked about where he is. We've been assured by White House officials in a briefing that just wrapped up in the last several minutes that he's on the case and that he's been doing a good job. But, of course, we haven't seen him yet so we can't really show the viewers doing his job just yet.

BALDWIN: Let me stay on that. On the case doing a good job.

ACOSTA: Yes.

BALDWIN: You know, listen, I've talked to a number of people who actually used to work with him and they said, he's fantastic, he's this wonderful communicator, really knows how to go -- cut through that bureaucratic bull, for lack of a better word.

ACOSTA: Right.

BALDWIN: But what really is his role? Is it clearly defined?

ACOSTA: I'm not sure it's clearly defined. I mean, he came out with a lot of fanfare inside the administration. They were pushing back on this notion that he was an Ebola czar. They don't use that phrase around here at the White House. They prefer the term Ebola response coordinator. And they say that he's going to be coordinating the response among all these federal agencies that are dealing with the Ebola scare, not only here in the United States but also in West Africa. And so when we pressed - I asked Josh Earnest, well what exactly has Ron Klain been doing over the last week?

BALDWIN: Yes.

ACOSTA: And Josh Earnest said that Klain has met with the president six out of the seven days that he's been on the job. He's been giving briefings to the president on the Ebola response. He's been over to HHS to talk to officials there. He's going to the CDC later this week.

But the question, of course, Brooke, is, why won't the White House let the public see any of that? And what the White House has said over the last couple of days is that they just envision this role for Ron Klain to be more of a behind the scenes role, which is why we're not seeing him. They're not ruling out that we might see more of him in the future, but, of course, with all of these, you know, the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing in terms of quarantine rules, the military, you know, the Pentagon is apparently looking at drafting quarantine rules, but yet the Army has gone ahead and done its own thing.

BALDWIN: Yes.

ACOSTA: And so it's raised all these questions, why aren't they all sort of on the same page? Which raises the question about Ron Klain. The White House saying, you know, we're going to get to all those details in time. But they say we may see some of Ron Klain in the days going forward. But right now they're pretty satisfied with the job that he's doing and that's what they're telling us here at the White House. The question is whether or not do we hear that from the president. That might be an interesting vote of confidence if we hear that from the president as he's leaving town. He's going on a campaign trip. So not too surprising that they will want to have the president out there looking like he's on top of things before he goes and does a campaign event up in Milwaukee later on today, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Ah-hah. Midterms, next week.

ACOSTA: Midterms, that's right.

BALDWIN: Jim Acosta, excellent point on the left hand, right hand thing. We're going to be talking a check of a lot about that over the course of the next two hours. Thank you so much.

ACOSTA: Yet bet.

BALDWIN: Jim Acosta for us at the White House.

Again, the president will be speaking, addressing Ebola specifically in just about 50 minutes from now. We'll take it live for you right here on CNN.

We will also ask a doctor about Amber Vinson's recovery process. The nurse we just saw in Atlanta at Emory. Will she eventually be able to go back to work as a nurse? When could that happen? Plus, we'll take a look at this memorial. This is -- it's just

beautiful -- for all of these victims here at that school shooting in Marysville, Washington. It's pretty poignant stuff, including cards and balloons, even messages forgiving that young gunman. Hear what students are saying about the shooter.

And next, an interview with ISIS. Captured fighters from the terror group tell our own correspondent Ivan Watson that if the roles were reversed, they would be torturing him and his fate would be death. You have to watch this, right after the break.

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BALDWIN: You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

The fight over one key Syrian city is about to intensify. Syrian Kurdish troops have been battling these ISIS militants for control of the city of Kobani for more than a month now. And just a couple of hours ago, we learned that Kurdish Peshmerga troops and weapons are on their way from Iraq, should arrive either tonight or early tomorrow morning. They were supposed to leave Sunday but a Peshmerga general said logistical issues with Turkey delayed those reinforcements.

What are exactly are some of these ISIS militants like? How did they become a part of this violent extremist group? CNN's senior international correspondent Ivan Watson actually sat down with these three fighters caught by Kurdish forces. The conversation he had with them, to be frank, is pretty terrifying, including how one man says Ivan would be treated if ISIS got ahold of him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are in a prison run by the Kurdish militants here in northern Syria. And we're being introduced to prisoners that the Kurds tell us were members of ISIS.

WATSON (voice-over): The prisoners are brought in blindfolded, and we quickly begin to wonder whether they're being forced to speak to us. During our visit here, the guards, who asked not to be shown, do not allow us to see the cells where the prisoners are being held. This man trembles with fear as a prison guard removes his blindfold. I introduce myself as an American journalist and he begins to relax a little.

He tells me he's a Syrian named Suliman (ph). He confesses to being part of an ISIS cell that planted and detonated a remote controlled car bomb outside a Kurdish base and says he received around 3,600 U.S. dollars for completing the job.

WATSON (on camera): What is the idea that ISIS is fighting for?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They said they were fighting for Islam and justice. They were lying to us. They took advantage of our minds and our poverty.

WATSON (voice-over): One of the prisoners the guards bring out is barely a man.

WATSON (on camera): Your name is Kareem. How old are you?

KAREEM, CAPTURED ISIS MILITANT (through translator): I am 19 years old.

WATSON (voice-over): But Kareem tells me he fought alongside ISIS all across Syria for more than a year.

WATSON (on camera): Where were you injured?

WATSON (voice-over): And he has the battle scars to prove it.

KAREEM: They gave us drugs, hallucinogenic pills that would make you go to battle not caring if you live or die.

WATSON: Before he's captured by the Kurds, Kareem claims he saw ISIS behead many of its prisoners.

WATSON (on camera): Why does ISIS cut people's heads off?

KAREEM: Whenever ISIS goes into an area, the eyes of ISIS, thee people there that don't adhere to their Islamic law, are apostates. Everything has to follow ISIS' way. Even women who don't cover their faces, women would also get their heads chopped off.

WATSON (voice-over): The final prisoner is Jaber, a former schoolteacher and father of two who also confesses to a car bombing.

WATSON (on camera): What would've happened to me if when you were with ISIS, if you guys had found me, an American journalist?

JABER, CAPTURED ISIS MILITANT (through translator): With ISIS, your fate would be death. There are different kinds of death. They would torture you for sure. They might decapitate you or cut off your hands. They will not simply shoot a bullet in your head.

WATSON (voice-over): It's impossible for CNN to confirm whether anything the prisoners tell us was true or whether these men were coached by their captors. The Kurdish prison guards say, if set free, every one of these men would likely go back and rejoin ISIS.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: Now, Brooke, the Kurdish fighters clearly showed us these prisoners in an effort to de-mystify the ISIS militants, to show them in a position of weakness. It's part of a propaganda war that they're fighting with ISIS that goes in parallel to the very vicious, real battlefield war that they are fighting against ISIS, that they've been fighting for more than a year. Everywhere you go in the Kurdish- controlled territory of northern Syria, there are posters showing the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of Kurdish fighters who have died in this war against ISIS for more than a year now.

Brooke. BALDWIN: Ivan, I am sure in your years, in your career, you have talked to a lot of evil people. But to listen to you ask that final question about, had the roles been reversed, had you been captured by one of those ISIS fighters, and his response to you about taking your life, he didn't even blink, Ivan.

WATSON: No, and the fact is, is I asked each of the three prisoners the same question, what would happen to me if you caught me when you were out and free. And they all said the same thing, that I would be killed and beheaded. So, a pretty creepy message coming from these guys.

All of them also said that, you know, they argued that they were forced into joining ISIS or that they'd been paid lots of money to join or that their families had been threatened. They weren't speaking entirely freely. The Kurdish prison guards were in the room. But they stressed that ISIS basically kills anybody they cross that doesn't agree with them.

BALDWIN: One more quick question since I have you, and this is such a stunning piece of journalism. The 19-year-old talked about taking hallucinogenic drugs before battle. That was the first I had ever heard of this. Have you?

WATSON: I've not heard of that before. I've heard about that in other war zones. So I can't quite confirm that report.

Another point that he made was that many fighters have been offered wives by ISIS. And that is a story that we are hearing here in Iraqi Kurdistan where the government is trying to recover thousands of Yazidi Kurdish women. Thousands, they're telling me, that they say ISIS took hostage and that are now effectively selling to other ISIS militants almost as a reward for joining this violent jihadi movement.

BALDWIN: There are no words. Ivan Watson, thank you so much, Erbil, Iraq, for us. Appreciate it.

Coming up, forgiveness. Forgiveness for the young man who opened fire on his classmates in Marysville, Washington, on Friday. Students are leaving messages for the gunman, telling him to rest in peace. One even calling him a misunderstood angel. We'll share these messages with you next.

Also ahead, another American who had Ebola, released from the hospital today. Here she was. So will nurse Amber Vinson be able to fully recover? We'll talk to a doctor about what's next for her. Stay with me.

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BALDWIN: Forgiveness may not be what you would expect from a high school student recovering after being shot in the face, but that's exactly what Nate Hatch has to offer up his cousin, Jaylen Fryberg, that teenager who opened fire in their high school cafeteria Friday and took the lives of two students and then his own. Police say Fryberg texted the five victims just before the shooting, inviting them to sit at his same lunch table. CNN's Dan Simon is outside that high school for us right now in Marysville, Washington.

Dan, what are you seeing?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Brooke.

I want to get straight to the tweet that has this community, and quite frankly much of the nation, buzzing. This is from Nate Hatch. He is one of the victims who was shot, shot by his own cousin, Jaylen Fryberg. And he tweeted this from the hospital and it says, "I love you and I forgive you, Jaylen, rest in peace."

And I have to tell you, Brooke, when you come to the makeshift memorial here in front of the school and you see this fence and all of the balloons and all of the posters, you're seeing a similar sentiment. You see people saying, rest in paradise. There's Jaylen Fryberg's name. There's even a teddy bear with Jaylen's name on it.

And I just want to read to you a couple of letters. This one says, "this is such a tragedy. I can't believe such an amazing person like Jay would do such a thing." Here's another one. "Jaylen was a good person. He did a horrible thing." What we're seeing with this shooting is really unprecedented. We've never seen anything quite like this where people are actually expressing good will towards the shooter.

As for Nate Hatch, the victim who is surviving in the hospital, his grandfather says that he is talking about the shooting. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON HATCH, GRANDFATHER OF SHOOTING VICTIM: He remembers, you know, the gun being pointed at him and, you know, him just freezing and just -- the other two getting shot and, you know, he's - I think things are coming closer to him. But I wouldn't want him talking about it. I'm really scared of what's going to happen after he gets out of the hospital because there's so many things that people are going to be asking him that the healing is the easy part, the memories of everything and the friendship that he had with his cousin is going to be the toughest part.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: While Nate Hatch's condition is improving, two other victims remain in critical condition, the shooter's other cousin, Andrew Fryberg, and the other freshman who was shot, Shaylee Chuckulnaskit. As for the school, administrators and faculty are here today, but students are not expected to return until next week.

Brooke, back to you.

BALDWIN: All right, Dan Simon for us in Marysville, Washington. Dan, thank you so much.

And at least a bright spot today. We have seen this latest young nurse from Dallas. She has been released from Emory University in Atlanta. She is free of the Ebola virus. And so we also now have learned that the president, President Obama, will be making remarks, specifically about Ebola. That will happen in just about 20, 25 minutes from now. We'll take those remarks for you live here on CNN.

Also ahead, now that this nurse has been released and cleared of the virus, what are her next steps? What do the next several months look like for her in this journey to full recovery? Stay here.

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