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North Korea Releases Two American Detainees; Jeffrey Fowle Talks About Being Released From North Korea; Loretta Lynch Nominated As Attorney General

Aired November 08, 2014 - 12:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: And we begin with two breaking stories, two Americans, Kenneth Bae, and Matthew Todd Miller released from a North Korean prison and on their way home as we speak. This just before President Obama leaves for China.

And the president just officially named Loretta Lynch as his nominee for attorney general. We've got team coverage of both stories starting right now.

But first, that breaking news out of North Korea, the last two Americans held in the country have just been released. Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller are now headed back home to the U.S. The North Korean government had accused both men of committing hostile acts and sentenced them to hard labor.

The release today comes as a complete surprise to many around the world. But to their families, of course, this is a huge relief and welcome news.

Jeffrey Fowle is joining us now on the phone. He was just released from North Korea last month, reunited with his family in Ohio. Jeffrey, I cannot wait to hear what your reaction and your perspective is with the release of the last two Americans, considering you were just released from North Korea.

What do you think their reaction was, Jeffrey, when they learned the news that they were coming home?

JEFFREY FOWLE (via telephone): I'm sure they're very happy and happy to be reunited with their families.

BROWN: What do you think they were feeling, Jeffrey? I mean, what goes through your mind when you've gone through so much, being held prisoner in North Korea, and then all of a sudden you're told you're coming home?

FOWLE: Well, I can't speak for either one of them, but I'm sure they're elated at the prospects of being reunited, coming home, getting back to things American here, just happiness. I'm sure there are a lot of emotions going through their mind, like what happened to me three weeks ago.

BROWN: When you all were held prisoner, did you interact much? Did you have a relationship with them at all?

FOWLE: With the other two Americans?

BROWN: Yes.

FOWLE: I was given very little information. I never saw them. I didn't have any kind of contact with them whatsoever.

BROWN: Despite that, I'm curious if you felt any sort of guilt or remorse when you found out you were released, you were coming home, and they were staying behind in North Korea. What did that feel like for you?

FOWLE: Yes, I was --

BROWN: Did you wonder why?

FOWLE: -- very sad. Yes, I didn't realize I was getting released until half an hour before we took off. It was like hit like a ton of bricks.

BROWN: And were you wondering, why me? Why are they letting me go and not them?

FOWLE: Yes, very much so. On the ride to the airport, I didn't know anything about their status, and I was hoping that they'd be on the plane as well. But I got there and they said I was the only one coming home. I was upset by that.

I was happy, but also upset that they weren't coming with me. I was the last one detained, Kenneth Bae or Matthew Miller should have been released before I was, but I'm glad to hear they're on their way home now.

BROWN: I can imagine that you were going through just a roller coaster of emotions during that time. If you would, sort of paint a picture for us what it was like being held prisoner in North Korea. What the conditions were like, how hard it was, just walk us through that, if you would?

FOWLE: Well, I was never actually a prisoner. Technically, I was a detainee. I never saw a prison or a jail while I was there. Only two locations, one was a high-rise hotel on the south end, and the other was -- that was 3 1/2 weeks.

And after that for the duration of my detention was at a hospitality center, like a guesthouse type of facility. A small place with eight or ten suites in it, and that was it. I never saw guards. The people I interacted with were the tour guides of the Korean tour agencies, that take foreigners around the country.

I never saw guns or jail bars or anything like that, guard towers. I was just in a, like a hotel suite type of room at both locations. I had an interpreter that was assigned to me, so once my interactions with the Koreans were through that interpreter, at least 99 percent of my communications was through him. BROWN: One of the big questions when you're released like this, is what the reintegration process is like, coming home, adjusting to life back in America. What has it been like for you?

FOWLE: Well, for me, it's been relatively simple. I was table to get my job back -- I was terminated back in September, but the city I work for has reinstated me, fortunately. I'm grateful for that. So things have fallen back into place pretty well for me.

Kenneth Bea has been gone two years now and it might be a little bit more difficult for him. And he was living in China before his ordeal. So I'm not sure what his reentry procedure or Matthew Miller's, for that matter, is going to be like.

BROWN: What advice would you give them, Jeffrey?

FOWLE: Well, back a couple of weeks ago, tell him to keep his faith. That's what got me through my ordeal of six months. Have faith in god and faith that I would actually come back home and that has come true for all three of us. We're all going to be back home, which is great, great news.

BROWN: And what was that like for you when you stepped foot on American soil after being over there? What was that feeling like?

FOWLE: It was fantastic. My family was there waiting for me on the tarmac at Wright Pat Air Force Base. And it was great being reunited with them after a long separation.

BROWN: And we're watching video of that right now, really, just incredible. What is your take on why they may have been released now? I mean, obviously, they weren't released when you were, and then several weeks later, North Korea decided to release the last two Americans. Why do you think that is?

FOWLE: I don't know. I can't say. I don't have connections to the high levels of government either here in the United States and can only speculate, but it's just speculation. Wonder why this particular order, why me first and Matthew later. I don't know. Don't have any concrete information.

BROWN: You had mentioned you didn't have a lot of interaction with them if any.

FOWLE: Zero.

BROWN: Do you plan meeting them now that they're coming back to the U.S.? And if so, what would you say to them in person?

FOWLE: Well, if they would -- I'm willing if they would like that. It's up to them. What I would say, I would have to wait until I meet them to find out what I would say, I guess.

BROWN: Yes. But you said the advice you'd give is keep the faith.

FOWLE: Yes. That's what got me through my six months there. BROWN: Did you ever think you might not be released?

FOWLE: Given the track record of detainees there, I felt I would be released eventually. It was just a matter of when. Kenneth Bae's sentence of 15 years was in my mind. That happened before I left. I knew that he'd got 15 years, so there was that possibility that I could be there for years.

BROWN: What was it like, because CNN interviewed you and it was a surprise for us to be given access to interview you and the others, at that moment, did you think, this is my opportunity. This might be sort of setting the stage for my release? What was going through your mind when CNN interviewed you?

FOWLE: Yes, that was an opportunity to get my story out. Let the world know. When I first got detained, I had no idea who knew what about the situation. That was probably the worst part of my detention, was the black question marks on my horizon.

BROWN: And if you would, Jeffrey, for those viewers who haven't been keeping up with your story, set the backstory for us, how you ended up being detained in North Korea. What happened?

FOWLE: Well, I had brought a bible with the intention of leaving it behind. That's part of my statement that was released was accurate. I was in a nightclub up in the north part of the country and left a bible, a Korean English bible in the nightclub that we were visiting at that time on May 4th.

And it was quickly found out, the next day I was confronted with it and admitted to it. And I had two days left on tour, and at the end of the tour, they took me into custody at the airport.

BROWN: Well, Jeffrey Fowle, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. It's incredible to hear what you had to go through and helps us learn a little bit more, gives us a window into what Kenneth Bae and Miller might be going through as they are on their way home right thousand.

And for some more insight and information, I want to turn to global affairs correspondent, Elise Labott. She's been speaking to U.S. officials about this today, working the phones, and you're finding out some new information -- Elise.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Pam. Well, basically what's been happening over the last few months is that the U.S. and North Korea have been having discussions about the possible release of these Americans, but they never knew at any point whether this would actually take place, when it would happen, how it would happen.

And this is very similar to what happened with Jeffrey Fowle, basically within these discussions, the U.S. was called and said, listen, the North Koreans said, listen, bring a military plane, pick up Jeffrey Fowle, and then they brought him home. Now, we understand that something very similar happened in the case of Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller. The discussions were ongoing, they didn't know when these men would be released, but at some point last week, the North Korean or early this week, the North Koreans called and said, send a cabinet-level official to pick Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller up.

And U.S. officials tell me they didn't know when the president decided to send DNI Intelligence Director James Clapper to North Korea that they would actually be bringing Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller home. DNA Clapper did travel to North Korea. We're told this was not a negotiation.

He was prepared to listen to what the North Koreans had to say, but there was no quid pro quo, no negotiations, and now we know Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller are on their way home -- Pam.

What do you think, Elise, the significance is behind sending James clapper, the chief intelligence officer in the U.S., because the president could have chosen any number of envoys to go over. Why James Clapper?

LABOTT: Well, they asked for a cabinet-level official and certainly the North Koreans are looking to get something here. So I don't think the administration would consider sending Secretary of State John Kerry, for instance because that's the nation's top diplomat.

And that would suggest some kind of diplomacy, some type of negotiations going on, but I think they still wanted to send someone that the North Koreans would accept. We're told they did run the name of James Clapper by the North Koreans and they did not object.

So I think they wanted to send someone within the international, national security apparatus. And also James Clapper is known as someone tough that, you know, obviously, the North Koreans would feel that they were getting something out of this.

So that's why he was chosen. We're told that he was sent as a presidential envoy by President Obama, and he went there and had talks with the North Koreans and now bringing the two Americans home.

BROWN: Very, very exciting for those families especially, you do wonder, Elise, because they released Jeffrey Fowle several weeks ago and now they're releasing these two Americans. What do you think is behind this? I mean, why didn't they just release them all at once?

LABOTT: I think, Pam, it has to do with this recent United Nations Human Rights report, a very damning report about North Korea's Human Rights record, detailing widespread abuses by the regime against the North Korean people.

We're talking about torture, starvation, execution, horrible crimes, and the North Koreans have been knowing that this report was coming out and so we've been talking about in recent weeks how the North Koreans have been on a charm offensives around the world. Fanning out diplomats across the globe, trying to reach out, trying to put kind of kindlier, gentler face on the leader, Kim Jong-un, all in an effort to kind of blunt this report, and so we thought at the time that the release of Jeffrey Fowle had to do with this charm offensive to kind of blunt this pending human rights report.

Now that the human rights report has come out and actually to the International Criminal Court, you continue to see this charm offensive by the regime. And I, personally, think that the release of Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller as well as Mr. Fowle had to do with that.

BROWN: And perhaps this could be a step in the right direction as far as improving relations with South Korea or do you think that's wishful thinking?

LABOTT: Well, as the North Koreans have been reaching out across the globe, they've also been trying to reach out to the South Koreans. And that's come in fits and starts. You've seen the North Koreans have talks with the South Koreans.

You've had them cancel talks. There have been some provocative actions on both sides. I think the South Koreans are definitely looking for better relations, but the new South Korean president, she's pretty tough.

And she's definitely not someone who's just going to give North Koreans whatever they want without making sure that South Korean security is protected. As far as better relations with the United States, I don't know if that's, you know, in the offing right now.

Officials tell me, listen, we're very glad that all of our Americans are home safely, but at the same time, we have a lot of other concerns, particularly about North Korean's nuclear program, also about its human rights record.

And North Korea has to take steps on that, and that is certainly what's going to improve relations with the United States. But you did hear John Kerry, secretary of state, when Jeffrey Fowle was released.

And calling for the release of Matthew Miller and Kenneth Bae say, if the North Koreans are serious about this outreach around the world, perhaps they could make this gesture and release those two Americans.

So, I mean, that's certainly, I think what North Korea is trying to do, is present itself as a very reasonable regime that you can do business with.

BROWN: And as we know, these two Americans are on their way home to be reunited with their families as we speak. Elise Labott, thank you so much.

Coming up, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez joins us next to weigh in on the other big breaking news story about the nominated attorney general. That's next. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORETTA LYNCH, ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE: Today, I stand before you, so thrilled and frankly so humbled to have the opportunity to lead this group of wonderful people, who work all day and well into the night to make that ideal a manifest reality, all as part of their steadfast protection of the citizens of this country.

Mr. President, thank you again for the faith that you have placed in me. I pledge today to you and to the American people that if I have the honor of being confirmed by the Senate, I will wake up every morning with the protection of the American people my first thought.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: You heard Loretta Lynch, President Obama's nominee for attorney general. She's currently the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn at the office there. She has been twice confirmed by the Senate to be the U.S. attorney there.

The hope by the Obama administration is that she will be confirmed a third time to take on the role of attorney general. Loretta Lynch saying that if she is confirmed, that her first thought every morning when she wakes up will be the protection of the American people.

And a man who knows a thing or two about being the attorney general is Alberto Gonzalez. He was George W. Bush's AG and is teaching law at Belmont University where he serves as the dean of the law school.

Mr. Gonzalez, thank you so much for coming on the show to talk to us. I think a lot of people are curious to learn a little bit more about what the process is like. What is Loretta Lynch about to go through?

ALBERTO GONZALES, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's something that she hasn't experienced before. Let me first begin by congratulating Miss Lynch on the nomination. Obviously, it's a great day for her and her family and a day of great pride for the African-American community.

I've listened to some of the commentary about the fact that she's been confirmed twice and perhaps this would be a relatively easy confirmation. I think what most people fail to understand is that for many U.S. attorneys, U.S. marshals.

If the home state senator supports you, oftentimes you get through a fairly easy confirmation hearing, with maybe one or two questions, and then you may get confirmed on a voice vote on the Senate floor. It's going to be very, very, very different with respect to a cabinet secretary nomination and obviously with respect to the attorney general, who is involved in the most controversial decisions.

And so she's going to go through a vetting that she has not experienced before. And I suspect that Republicans are really going to, really going to dig deep in terms of her background and they're going to ask her some very tough questions, questions involving, for example, the scope of presidential power. What is the scope of inherent power in the area of foreign policy and national security? They're going to want to know, you know, how much discretion does a president have with respect to the execution of laws? So these are some very tough questions and I think legitimate questions to ask for the position of attorney general.

BROWN: And it's been widely talked about that she was one of the few people President Obama was considering that was not in his inner circle. How do you think that could actually help her with the confirmation process?

GONZALES: There will be some members of the Senate who prefer not to have someone that is viewed as being personally close to the president. I was viewed as personally close to the president. As a result of that, many of the Democrats did not support my nomination.

General Holder wasn't viewed as close to President Obama and that created tension with respect to Republican senators and members of Congress. So it's going to cut both ways as far as I'm concerned.

Personally, I think if you have a relationship with the president, it's much easier to tell the president no when you have that kind of relationship. It's much easier to be successful in interagency battles with other cabinet secretaries.

So there's a benefit to having a relationship with the president, but there's a lot a detriment particularly with respect to the issues relating to confirmation.

BROWN: But she does bring with her a wealth of experience. The fact that she has around the two years to take on this role, presumably, does that help her, hurt her? What kind of an impact do you think she can have in two years?

GONZALES: Well, a lot will depend on outside events that we can't anticipate. Obviously, the president has law enforcement priorities and as the attorney general, your job is to make sure those are carried out. Every new attorney general is going to have their own law enforcement priorities as well, so long as they're consistent with the president's priorities.

So she'll have to hit the ground running and she'll be -- she'll have a senior team in place and so the Department of Justice will not miss a beat. There are 105,000 people who work at the department. So I think people should rest assured that even though we may have a relatively new inexperienced attorney general, the work of the people will carry on.

BROWN: All right, it's really interesting to note, too, that this is the first time in nearly two centuries that a U.S. attorney is making the leap to attorney general, which I think is surprising. Give us the view of what she's going to take on. I mean, I can only imagine how exciting it must be, but also overwhelming if she is confirmed to take on the role of attorney general.

GONZALES: If she is the right person, the job will not be overwhelming. It will be exciting. It will be serious. It's a very serious responsibility. But, again, it's not a job you take on by yourself. You're surrounded by an experienced leadership team.

And there are, as I said, there are over 100,000 people that are there to go to work every day, many of them, obviously, a number of them are career people, and they go to work every day, every night, on behalf of the American people.

And so, if she's smart, she'll rely upon their good advice and exercise her own good judgment. So if she's the right person, she can do the job.

BROWN: What do you make of the timing behind her nomination?

GONZALES: Well, obviously, General Holder is not viewed as being -- he's not very popular with certain Republicans. Perhaps the view is, we try to get -- the president would like to get a new attorney general in place. Whether or not that's going to be possible for the new Congress, I sort of have my doubts.

I suspect that her nomination will go up and her confirmation hearing and the floor vote will be conducted by the new Senate. But it remains to be seen.

BROWN: We know that Eric Holder was laser focused on voting rights, civil rights, being smart on crime. Do you think President Obama's hope is that Loretta Lynch will sort of carry the torch with those issues and priorities?

GONZALES: Well, she'll carry the torch, as the president says, that's my priority. So I suspect that that priority of the president will continue and, therefore, the work in the civil rights division -- the focus on the civil rights division will continue as well.

But let me just say that, you know, we have the civil rights division that's in place, and their primary focus is the protection of civil rights, protection of voting rights.

And whether or not President Obama, President Bush, I mean, that is the work of that division, that work will continue, whatever the primary focus is of this new next attorney general.

BROWN: And of course a big civil rights case she'll be parachuting into is what's going on in Ferguson. How challenging do you think that will be?

GONZALES: Well, of course, it will depend -- the legal challenge may be relatively easy. There may be a political challenge, a public relations challenge, depending on the decision the department makes.

And obviously, again, if she's smart, she's going to rely upon the folks that have been there, the folks that understand the case best, and hopefully, that will get the outcome that justice demands.

BROWN: Alberto Gonzalez, really interesting to hear your perspective, thank you so much for coming on and talking with us. GONZALES: Thanks for having me.

BROWN: And more on the breaking news out of North Korea. Next, we talk to one woman who knows firsthand what it's like to be inside a North Korean prison, right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: We're following that breaking news out of North Korea. At this hour, the last two Americans held in the country have been released. Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller are now heading back home to the U.S. The North Korean government had accused both men of committing hostile acts and sentenced them to hard labor.

I'm joined now on the phone by Euna Lee. She's a journalist who was held in a North Korean prison. You might remember her story because she was with Lisa Ling's sister when she was detained in North Korea.

Euna, thank you so much for joining us. First off, if you would, tell us in a nutshell what your experience was like in North Korea and then being released.

EUNA LEE, JOURNALIST WHO WAS HELD IN NORTH KOREA (via telephone): Thanks for having me, Pamela. First, I just want to say, congrats to the family for their endless efforts to bring Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller and I'm so happy for them.

You know, they waited so long, patiently, for so long, and this is a great moment. Being detained in North Korea, I'm sure everybody who's detained is going through a difficult time.

But being isolated in a foreign country was very difficult. No communication with family members or outside of the world was very difficult. It made it even more hard.

BROWN: And how long were you held in North Korea for?

LEE: I was detained in North Korea for 140 days.

BROWN: And what was that like, Euna, when you received the news that you were being freed and able to reunite with your family? Did you see it coming or was it a complete surprise?

LEE: It was a complete surprise. I didn't even know that I was meeting President Clinton until the moment. And I didn't even know that I was being released until the last moment. And even after I was released, everything was so surreal.

You know, I was detained in North Korea for so many days, and the next moment, I was on a plane. And I could not believe anything, until I touched the U.S. soil.

BROWN: Can you imagine, that's what Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller are going through right now. It's probably still sinking in that they're coming home. You said you didn't even know that you'd be meeting Bill Clinton. Did you even know he was there trying to secure your release?

LEE: I was -- a few hours before I met with President Clinton, I was informed that someone pretty high envoy came and visited the North Korea. But we didn't know. I didn't even know who he was and the North Korean officials, they didn't even want to let us know who he was.

BROWN: Yes, you wonder how much Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller knew about James Clapper, the head of DNI, who traveled there to help secure their release. What kind of advice would you give them? I can imagine having to reintegrate back home after being isolated, held prisoner. It could be challenging. What advice would you give them?

LEE: You know, of course they will need lots and lots of family time, for sure. But, you know, what they really need is time that people surrounding him or people like us can continually give them positive attention, until they are fully recovered from the isolation.

BROWN: What was that like because we're all anxiously awaiting for them to step foot on American soil. In fact, we've heard from their family. Today they said that they're just overjoyed. There has been a lot of crying today.

They're all reconnecting over the phone about this great news. What was it like for you when you did step foot on U.S. soil? You did see your family. What was going through your mind? What were those feelings and emotions like?

LEE: I remember, I remember coming home and the first thing that I did was cleaning house. You know, removing all the absence of my 140 days. I wanted to just come back to just normal life, immediately. But, of course, you know, you can get, you can imagine that that doesn't happen.

But that's, I'm sure that's what they want to probably have. Just come back to just regular, mundane days that, you know, that I think they know how we take a lot for granted from our life, from this experience.

BROWN: Yes, you can imagine that they're just craving normalcy and some of the creature comforts that we all take for granted. Euna Lee, journalist who was held in North Korean prison, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it.

LEE: Thank you for having me.

BROWN: And Euna wrote a book about her experiences, called "The World Is Bigger Now." You should check it out, really interesting stuff.

And joining me now from Washington is Joel Wit, a former State Department official, who has negotiated with North Korea. Mr. Whitt, take us behind the scenes. How do you think this release came about?

JOEL WIT, SENIOR FELLOW, U.S. KOREA INSTITUTE: Well, of course it's very murky, but I think one of the reasons why James Clapper went to pick up the two Americans was because whatever talks were taking place took place between the United States and North Korea in secret intelligence channels.

And of course, James Clapper is the head of the U.S. intelligence community. So I think that was a key part of the discussion. And of course, there are other channels too, more regular diplomatic channels as well.

BROWN: What kind of signal do you think North Korea is trying to send with the release of the last two Americans in their custody?

WIT: Well, you know, I think most analysts jump to the conclusion that this is a desperate cry for help by North Korea. That they are seeking better relations with the United States. That may be one part of it, but it is not a desperate cry for help.

There are a number of reasons why North Korea may have released the two Americans now. First, they made their point. These people were put in jail for a certain amount of time, and now they can be released.

Secondly, they may be communicating to China, who is North Korea's main ally, that Pyongyang is trying to be reasonable, but the United States is not.

And third, it may have something to do, although I think peripherally, with the North Korean concern about the possibility of U.N. General Assembly human rights resolution, condemning North Korea.

BROWN: Yes, it's rare that North Korea does anything that's not highly calculated. We have been reporting that North Korea has been on the charm offensive and that also, its leader, Kim Jong-Un, has had some mysterious health issues that his political ranking might be shifting. How much do you think all of that played in a role with these Americans' release?

WIT: Well, you know, I don't know the answer, except to say that I think there's no doubt in the minds of anyone who follows North Korea closely that Kim Jong-Un is in charge. There's no doubt about that.

Secondly, whether they're engaged in a charm offensive and the connotation of that is that they're not really serious about trying to improve relations with other countries.

Whether it's just a charm offensive or whether there is something serious beneath the surface there, we don't really know at this point. And we will not know until we engage the North Koreans in serious conversations about our future relationship. BROWN: And as one of our correspondents, Jim Sciutto said, North

Koreans can be so unpredictable that even though they've now released all the Americans in their custody, that means that there won't be another one taken prisoner tomorrow. It's just, it's unknown sort of what to read from all of this. Is that right?

WIT: Well, you know, I don't agree with that. That's kind of the standard wisdom. I don't see them as unpredictable. In fact, I think North Korean behavior is quite predictable. And secondly, there have been many tourists going to North Korea over the past few months, and none of them have been taken hostage. So I think we need to understand that at least from the North Korean perspective, and I'm not excusing what they do, these Americans violated their laws and they prosecuted them.

So it's not a question of trumping up charges, I don't think. I think from their perspective, these people have violated their laws and there are hundreds of other tourists who haven't, who have been going to North Korea in the meantime.

BROWN: And that is, like you said, their perspective. It will be interesting to hear what these newly released Americans have to say about that. Thank you so much for coming on and talking with us.

WIT: Thank you very much.

BROWN: We'll be right back. But first, the list of the top ten CNN Heroes is out and it's leading up to the all-star tribute with Anderson Cooper on December 7th. Meet CNN Hero, Arthur Bloom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARTHUR BLOOM: Music is my earliest memory. I never decided to be a professional musician. It's just what I've always done. It feels great to play music. But it's also a mechanism for healing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were on just a normal morning patrol walking down the road. I'd never been hit by an IED before. It felt like I got hit by a wrecking ball. I sat up. My legs were completely gone. What happens if you don't quite get killed and you don't quite survive, you're somewhere in the middle? I was a shell of a man. Who I was gone?

BLOOM: Let's take it right before the melody comes in. Our organization helps wounded warriors play music and recover their lives.

We match the injured troops with professional musicians who comes visit at Walter Reed Medical Center and work with them on music projects, learning music, writing, and performing.

We're going to try to incorporate more medal.

I'm not a music therapist, I'm a musician, but by injecting music into this space, we can inject life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something survived that horrible injury in Afghanistan. And that was my ability to play the guitar. Arthur and his program changed my outlook on what is possible.

BLOOM: Music has no stigma. The folks who work with, when they do music, there's nothing injured about the way they do it. It's just good music.

(END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNCH: The Department of Justice is the only cabinet department named for an ideal and this is actually appropriate because our work is both aspirational and grounded in gritty reality. It's both ennobling and it's both profoundly challenging.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: You heard right there, that was President Obama's pick for attorney general, Loretta Lynch. She just spoke in the last hour and I'm joined now by Evan Perez, who broke this story yesterday. Evan is my colleague covering the Justice Department.

And Evan, I'm curious to know what you're learning, what the reaction has been to Loretta Lynch being selected by President Obama.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, you know, the big reaction we're obviously waiting for is from the Republican side, because they are the ones that are going to have to confirm her, you know, when they take the majority at the beginning of the year.

I'm told that the president doesn't want to, you know, annoy them by trying to do this in the lame duck session before December. So one of the things they're doing, they're going to start digging into her background.

They don't really know much about her, despite the fact they confirmed her in 2010 for the current job she has in Brooklyn. And one of the things they're going to look at is trying to figure out where she stands on some of these big questions that we've been discussing.

Including, you know, the presidential power, the president is talking about doing some executive action on immigration. So you're going to hear questions to her about where she stands on the issue of what the president can do without Congress and without getting the two branches of government together.

So I think maybe that's one of the first things you're going to hear, is questions about that.

BROWN: Evan, I know just from covering the Justice Department with you, there have been rumors in recent days that she was the leading prospect. I'm curious what your thoughts are on how much the midterm election, perhaps factored in to President Obama's selection here.

Considering she is the least controversial, seen as the least controversial, given the fact that she's sort of an outsider, she's not intricately tied to the president or whether you think the midterm results factor in at all with this election.

PEREZ: You know, it's interesting, Pamela, because this is a job that's supposed to be nonpartisan, obviously, but it can't help but be part of the political situation. And I know that the midterms and the fact that the president was preparing for the fact that his party was going to do very badly in the election did factor into this.

You know, there were some people that he was considering that probably would have had a harder time with the Republican Congress if the democrats would have kept it, probably would have had an easier time.

But this pick is definitely a signal that they were preparing for someone, for the fact that they were going to have to deal with republicans, in a position of power, and having to put someone like this, you know, who doesn't really arouse any of the partisan arguments, was part of the plan here.

BROWN: What do you think the challenges are that she faces heading into -- assuming she is confirmed and assuming she does take on the position of attorney general, what do you think the challenges are taking over the helm, following Eric Holder? And given what's going on right now?

PEREZ: Right, well, you know, given the fact that the president has two years, you know, this is a time in which presidents try to wrap up what they're trying to do with their legacy. And there's a couple of big items that the president still has on his table, which includes closing Guantanamo, which is something that he promised on the second day in office.

And the Attorney General's Office is going to be part of the picture, part of the discussion of how the president tries to bring that forward, especially in light, now, he has to deal with a Republican Senate, Republican Congress that are very much opposed to that question.

And so she's going to play a key role into perhaps doing that. Now, you and I have talked a lot about Ferguson, Missouri, and the civil rights question that's hanging in the balance there.

This is also something that's probably going to be at the top of her list when she walks in the door. So, you know, she's got a very full plate, even before she even walks in there.

BROWN: Certainly some heavy and controversial issues await her. Thank you so much, Evan Perez. We appreciate it.

PEREZ: Good to see you.

BROWN: Good to see you as well. See you back in D.C. soon.

And we're also following breaking news out of North Korea. The last two Americans held in the country have been released. Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller are now heading back home to the U.S. The North Korean government had accused both men of committing hostile acts and sentenced them to hard labor.

Our Will Ripley joins me now live from Tokyo. Will, you have a unique perspective, because you actually interviewed both of these men in North Korea. Tell us about that.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was a surprise in the sense that we had requested the interviews when we were there for a completely different reason in Pyongyang, covering a sports tournament of all things. We were told by the government that it would be impossible to speak to these guys.

But then out of the blue, our request was granted at the very last minute. We were driven to a secret location. We had just a few moments' notice before we walked in and spoke with these three detained Americans.

At that time, a little over two months ago, Pamela, we didn't know what would happen. We knew that the North Korean government wanted these men to send a message to their families and most importantly to the United States government, to send an envoy to secure their release.

We saw Fowle released several weeks ago. His case was a bit less complicated then Miller and Bae, because he had not yet been convicted and sentenced. He was still technically being held in a hotel and so it seems as if Kim Jong-Un was able to grant his pardon fairly quickly.

Of course, between now and then, this United Nations report recommending that Kim Jong-Un and the nation's leaders, but the on trial for alleged human rights transgressions. And there might be other details to work out since those two men were technically prisoners serving sentences inside North Korea.

If we hear from the DKRP, it's likely that the announcement will be set that Kim Jong-Un granted them a pardon, allowing them to go home to their families, which is happening right now.

BROWN: And you hit on a key point, Will, what's different between these two Americans and Jeffrey Fowle, who was released a few weeks ago, they were sentenced and were being held prisoner. When you did the interview with them, unexpectedly, when you were in North Korea, did you get the sense then that they were perhaps setting the stage for their release?

RIPLEY: We certainly knew they were setting the stage to give these men an opportunity to speak to the world and to the United States' government, using the fact that there was a CNN crew in country.

North Korea had an agenda. They wanted to send a message and these men hit several key talking points. That they were being treated humanely that was a big one. It seemed very important for the North Korean government to convey that especially in light of all of the human rights allegations swirling around.

And they asked repeatedly for the United States government to intervene. It seemed that Pyongyang wanted a direct line with Washington to talk about this, perhaps other issues as well.

You heard from the United States government saying this is a separate issue and there were other things that need to happen for North Korea to improve its relationship with the U.S. and the rest of the world. BROWN: I really want to hear your perspective, Will, because we were just speaking with a foreign affairs analyst who actually said, he does not think that North Korea is unpredictable. What is your view, given the fact that you've interacted with them firsthand?

RIPLEY: When you look at historically and see this type of pattern repeating, this charm offensive followed by perhaps a hostile action, I mean, just remember, earlier this year, there was a large number of projectiles being launched from North Korea out into the ocean, which is certainly a threatening gesture to neighbors.

There have been fears that another nuclear test may be imminent. We haven't seen that, but we did just get the report that North Korea has outfitted this very old Soviet submarine with the capability to launch a ballistic missile, potentially.

And so, in that sense, it is predictable. What's unpredictable, Pamela, is the timing. That Jeffrey Fowle had 30 minutes' notice and these men probably had very little notice as well that they were going home.

BROWN: And you had very little notice as well. You were over there doing a separate story and then were surprised when they told you, you were doing the interviews. Really great to hear your perspective, Will Ripley, thank you for coming on.

And back to our other big story, a nominee for a new attorney general. I talk to our legal guys up next about the importance of that nomination. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: President Obama just announced last hour his pick for attorney general, Loretta Lynch, the U.S. attorney general for the eastern district of New York.

Let's bring in our legal guys, Avery Friedman, a civil rights attorney and law professor in Cleveland, and Richard Herman, a New York criminal defense attorney and law professor joining us now from Las Vegas.

It's so great to have you both with us. I can't wait to hear what your take on President Obama's nominee is. And I want to start with you, Avery, given your background in civil rights.

I think the big question with Loretta Lynch, potentially taking over the helm at the Justice Department is how she's going to handle the case in Ferguson. The big case on whether Darren Wilson, the officer, violated Michael Brown's civil rights. What do you think, what kinds of challenges do you think await her in that?

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, Pamela, there'll be no difference in what we've seen coming from Eric Holder. The fact is that four days after the election, the president makes this nomination the least controversial, the least unexpected nomination. She's wonderfully credentialed. She is noncontroversial. And look, the president, Pamela, gets nothing without the advice and consent of the senate. And we're going to have a brand-new Senate.

So the way I see this thing, on the civil rights issue, on Ferguson, there will be no difference and I think, unless she screws up at the confirmation hearing, you have a brand-new attorney general in Loretta Lynch.

BROWN: Richard, I want to go to you. And Loretta Lynch, she's a career prosecutor. She has been confirmed twice by the Senate to become the U.S. attorney general in the eastern district of New York. She's seen as low profile, more workhorse than show horse.

Very different from the other U.S. attorney in New York in the southern district, in the fact that, you know, he's been on the cover of magazines, but she has really kept her profile pretty low. How do you think this could work in her favor, as far as being confirmed, the fact that she is sort of a Washington outsider?

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Exactly. I think it's going to work to her benefit. There's not a lot of damage out there that people can drum up. She was two-time approved. She was approved by a voice vote only in 2010. As Avery said, she's wonderfully credentialed.

She follows in the footsteps of Honorable Michael Mukasey out of New York. She is a historic nomination by the president. I think the Senate will pass her swiftly and it will be good if it happens in January because with respect to Ferguson, I do not believe there's going to be an indictment in that case against him.

And there is no viable means to bring a civil rights case, so she's going to address that. That will be a challenge for her, but as the previous reporter told you in your conversation with him, her biggest challenge will be with the lame duck presidency.

And President Obama trying to skirt, get close to the border on his powers, what he can do, what he can't do with the approval of Senate and Congress or without their approval. I think that's going to be her test as an attorney general.

But, again, she's from the eastern district of New York, she covers Brooklyn and Long Island. Her cases have been predominantly organized crime with financial fraud and some terrorism cases. We have found her, from my office, I've had many cases with the eastern district that she is fair and consistent and that's what you're looking for.

FRIEDMAN: And we'll see what the Senate Judiciary Committee does. That will be the first vote, Pamela, welcome and ultimately it goes to the entire Senate.

BROWN: I was talking to someone on the phone who actually worked with her and he said, sort of going along with what you said, Richard, she's someone that you feel like she's listening to you and your voice is being heard. And that's certainly we want to take over the role of attorney general.

Richard and Avery, thank you so much for coming on with us this hour for all of our legal news. We appreciate it.

And we have much more just ahead in the NEWSROOM and it all starts right now.

Hello. I'm Pamela Brown in for Fredricka Whitfield.