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Americans Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller Released From North Korean Prison; Loretta Lynch Nominated To Be Next U.S. Attorney General

Aired November 08, 2014 - 15:00   ET

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


POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Poppy Harlow. Thanks so much for joining me.

Breaking news right now on CNN. President Obama calls this a wonderful day for two American families. These two men, Matthew Todd Miller and Kenneth Bae are no longer detained in North Korea. They are free and on their way back to the United States right now. They had been held for two years and was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. Miller is believed to have sought asylum in North Korea earlier this year.

Now that these two are out. They leave no more Americans in North Korea. There is a lot to talk about this hour, the coordination, the negotiation, the face-to-face visit to North Korea by a very senior administration official.

Erin McPike joins us live from the White House.

Hi, Erin. This is such great news for the families, for these two men. And also, you know, it looks like a big win for the Obama administration. Do we have background on this yet? I mean, how long officials had been working on this?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, we do know it wasn't all that long. And actually, we found out about it out of the blue this morning. And that's what a lot of people are saying, that it happened very quickly. We found out after about 10:00 a.m. or so this morning.

What we do know is that on Wednesday, James Clapper, the director of national intelligence was supposed to be speaking in New York, as the council for foreign relations, in an event there. And that was abruptly canceled due to scheduling conflicts. Now, we know why. The Obama administration sent him as the presidential envoy to North Korea to secure the release of these two detainees, Poppy.

HARLOW: And Erin, I also know that the Obama administration, very quickly, came out this morning and said, there was no quid pro quo. Nothing was given to the North Koreans, in exchange for these detainees, right?

MCPIKE: That's right. Now, we heard that from the state department, to be clear about this. The White House has not said much. President Obama did make brief remarks when he was asked this morning. And I think we have those comments. Let's play them for you now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a wonderful day for them, the families, and obviously, very (INAUDIBLE) I appreciate it. Director Clapper is doing a great job on what was, obviously, a challenging mission.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: But as you mentioned, no quid pro quo. The state department and other administration officials are saying that North Korea did not get anything in exchange for this. If they want to have a better relationship with the west, well, that's to come. Some are saying, though, that this release signals that North Korea is willing to talk to the west. And they did not send secretary of state John Kerry, instead, sending James Clapper because North Korea did want a high- level official but not the nation's top diplomat. At least that's what the White House wanted not to send a high-level diplomat, instead, this other official to help secure this release.

But there had been no diplomatic relations with North Korea since the Bush administration. And that's an important thing as we go forward, when a diplomatic relationship could begin after this event, Poppy.

HARLOW: Still, though, a very high-ranking official with Clapper going. Just give me a sense of what people there in Washington are saying, Erin, in terms of the timing. Because this comes just after Jeffrey Fowle, also another detainee there in North Korea was released. I mean, why now?

MCPIKE: That's a good question. We're still trying to learn more about the timing of this. Again, it happened very quickly. I can tell you that we have heard from a couple of Republicans on social media. Now, I know you will be talking to Nick Valencia about that. But we did hear from Texas Senator John Cornyn who said, this is great. Thank you to James Clapper for securing the release.

HARLOW: Yes. Thank goodness. And you can just imagine what these two men feel like and what their families feel like as they wait. They're in the air now. So they should be landing in a few hours. We will be watching.

Erin McPike at the White House. Thank you.

After years of worry, fear and doubt, Kenneth Bae's family finally getting ready for a very joyful reunion. They know that Bae had struggled with his health issues like diabetes while in North Korea. They talked a lot about the strain he was under. I want to bring in Elise Labott, our global affairs correspondent.

Elise, you've been on the phone with your sources since this morning when this news broke. And I want to get your sense of, if you have anything to add as to why you think this happened now? Why this was prompted so suddenly.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Poppy.

But first, I want to read you. We got this statement from Kenneth Bae's family, obviously, elated that Kenneth Bae is coming home, as you said, very worried about him. And this family has been very outspoken on social media, everywhere, making sure that no matter what has been happening with North Korea or the other detainees, that Kenneth Bae, was never forgotten.

The family says it is finally happening. Kenneth Bae is coming home. Words cannot adequately express our relief and gratitude, that Kenneth is coming home. We have been waiting for and praying for this day for two years. This ordeal has been excruciating for the family. But we are filled with joy right now.

And why now, Poppy? That's the good question. It does seem as if North Korea wanted to, you know, send a message that they're looking for better relations with the international community. They let Jeffrey Fowle go a few weeks ago. And you know, a lot of people have talked about whether this had to do with this human rights report from the United Nations, that came out the other day, really, damning report detailed widespread human rights abuses, starvation, torture, execution, long periods of sleep deprivation, really awful things. And so, the question is, did North Korea wanted has been on a charm offensive, trying to, you know, present a more reasonable face of the regime. We really don't know.

HARLOW: And I wonder, on that point, Elise, what you think this signal, in the broad picture for U.S./North Korea relations. Now, you have, as far as we know, no more Americans detained in North Korea. It hasn't been that way, now, for the two years since Kenneth Bae has been there. And much further back, in the history of the strained relations between these two countries.

LABOTT: OK. Well today, the U.S. is saying state department is saying, listen, we are very glad that Kenneth Bae is released. But this isn't going to change anything in terms of our relationship. North Korea knows what it needs to do to have a better relationship. And that's address the concerns the international community has over their nuclear program. That's dealing with the human rights situation that's detailed in this report. That's having better behavior on the international stage.

But I will say, Poppy, a few weeks ago, when Jeffrey Fowle was released, secretary of state John Kerry, said, listen, it would be an extraordinary gesture for the North Koreans to release Kenneth Bae, if they, indeed, want better relations with the international community. So, to release -- if they release Kenneth Bae and the U.S. does not do something to kind of mark this, and at least make some kind of overture towards some kind of dialogue then this, really, doesn't send a very important -- it sends a negative signal to the North Koreans, I would think, about the usefulness of letting these Americans go, if they're not really going to get any bang for their buck. Just the North Koreans, if anything, are master negotiators and the kings of brinksmanship.

HARLOW: Well, you know, Jim Sciutto made this interesting point, Elise, about your thought. And this is this morning saying, that this is a get for the North Koreans to have such a high-ranking official, like James Clapper, being the one to go over and secure this. Although, it's not secretary of state John Kerry, but you know, that is a very big, powerful name.

Also, the fact that Jim Sciutto made the point that, you know, we -- we don't know what North Korea's going to do next. We don't know if they have another American potentially detained or may, right? That's important.

LABOTT: It is important. And I mean, Americans look, there are travel warnings, that saying many travel warnings from the United States, not a good idea to go to North Korea. You can very likely get arrested. You know, you need to be very careful. And yet Americans are still going there and traveling on these tour groups and these tour groups are not very well-organized in making sure that Americans know what they can and can't do. So there is possibly another American goes to North Korea and finds himself arrested.

Is it a get for the North Koreans? Sure. I mean, they asked for a cabinet officials and they got a cabinet official. Why was James Clapper? I think that, you know, we don't want to -- the U.S. didn't want to send a message that said, this is -- my sending John Kerry, this would be an opening in diplomacy. This would have larger implications for the relationship, as we discussed.

And also, a lot of the talks have involved intelligence officials. And so, it kind of did make sense to send someone in the intelligence community, James Clapper. Yes, it's a get for the North Koreans. But if they're not going to get anything going forward, I would say that that's a very small victory for them that they're not going to be able to take to the bank very long.

I mean, if you remember that was President Clinton went there, when you saw those pictures that came out of the North Koreans, and possibly we see one with James Clapper, there weren't exactly a whole lot of smiles and handshakes.

So, I think if the North Koreans are able to use this as propaganda, it's not going to go very far there. I think they're looking for more.

HARLOW: Yes. Elisa Labott, thank you very much. I know you've been working your sources on this all morning. Appreciate the reporting for us, but really good news for them that they are coming home.

Elise Labott, thank you.

We'll be back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: One man has negotiated with North Korea since the 1990s to help free Americans detained there. I'm talking about former New Mexico governor, Bill Richardson, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. He went to North Korea last year to try to get Kenneth Bae released. Five years ago, he was considered a potential envoy for the release of two American women. That role ultimately went to former president Bill Clinton.

Governor Richardson joins me on the phone.

Thank you for being with me, sir. We appreciate it.

BILL RICHARDSON, FORMER NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR (via phone): Glad to be with you.

HARLOW: This must be a very joyful day for you, too. Someone who has spent a lot of time going back and forth to North Korea, working with the negotiators there. You have a unique perspective. I am wondering what you can tell me about the minds of the people that are negotiated with to make this happen because last year, you tried to get this done. And they wouldn't release Kenneth Bae.

RICHARDSON: That's right. There's been a change, obviously. There's a new leader in North Korea, Jim Jong-Un. And I think he has realized that he's got to be more open to the United States, the west. I think this release happened for two reasons. One, he wants to send a message of having a dialogue with the United States. And secondly, North Korea was being attacked very strongly at the United Nations, on human rights ground threats that take them to the international criminal court.

So I think Kim Jong-Un made a decision to get these Americans out, without too many conditions, a presidential envoy, perhaps. But it's a very good step. It's good. I was briefly involved in this in the past. But as you said, I wasn't able to get Kenneth Bae out at the time. He had just been detained. Kim Jong-Un was new. But this is a joyous day for the families. And I have to give the administration credit for starting a new channel with Clapper, the intelligence guy, besides the normal diplomatic channels.

HARLOW: Do you see this as North Korea signaling that it is ready to have the nuclear talks with the United States? And what is your big picture assessment of this?

RICHARDSON: Well, the United States has said to North Korea, you can't start talking to us unless you're ready to reduce your nuclear weapons. So, North Korea, I don't believe they budged on that. But what I think has happened is, the United States and North Korea have separated the humanitarian issue, the release of these two, that would lead, perhaps, to a -- not a warming. But an understanding that now we start talking about nuclear weapons, either the U.S. directly with North Korea or South Korea, Japan, the six-party countries that have negotiated with North Korea.

So, this is good. We want to reduce tensions in the peninsula. This country has nuclear weapons. It has missiles. They're hostile. This is a good first step in getting people back to talking.

HARLOW: And we have to remember that there are still South Korean citizens detained in North Korea. Others detained in North Korea, even if no Americans are at this point in time. You spoke with the people that negotiate this in North Korea. To be a

fly on the wall, to hear what James Clapper said, to get these two men freed. Can you tell us what your experience was like doing that?

RICHARDSON: Well, I think what happens is there's one person who makes this decision, Kim Jong-Un, the leader and he probably authorized this, but had the foreign ministry and the security people negotiate these releases.

So, fly on the wall, they can talk all they want. It's up to the new leader. And the new leader seems to be looking at the west, that this is a second release in a month, without too many conditions. And that's a good sign. But he makes all the decisions. And maybe what he's doing is saying, hey, you know, come and talk to me. And let's see if we can moderate tensions. What North Korea desperately needs is food, they need energy, they sanctions relief. They're hurting.

HARLOW: Well, I wonder what you make of the timing. I mean, do you have any sense of why this happened just a month after Jeffrey Fowle was released, with 30 minutes notice, that he was going to be a free man?

RICHARDSON: Yes. The two reasons, one that North Korea's feeling the heat of this very intensive campaign by many countries at the U.N., to send Kim Jong-Un to the international criminal court. They want to reduce that threat. And improve tension, improve -- get tension reduced. And secondly, the fact that this is an American -- these are three Americans released within a month, is basically saying to the U.S. OK, we're ready to do a humanitarian release for you. What are you going to do for us? And maybe the price is going to be just talking, a dialogue. And so, this is good.

HARLOW: And the administration saying, definitively, or hearing from the state department, there was no quid pro quo in this. But very good news, as you said. So many people happy to see these two men free and coming home.

Governor Bill Richardson, appreciate you joining us this afternoon. Thank you.

RICHARDSON: Thank you.

HARLOW: Well, our very own Will Ripley spoke to Kenneth Bae, Matthew Todd Miller and Jeffrey Fowle, just a few months ago in North Korea. They met at a Pyongyang hotel. Each detainee was given only five minutes to talk. They asked the U.S. to help win their release. And look at what happened today.

Our correspondent Will Ripley joins me now live from Tokyo.

Will, I remember watching your interviews, glued to them. It was fascinating for all of us. You had almost no notice that you were going to interview the three of them. What can you tell me about what they said to you and your reaction to this news today?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's interesting, Poppy, because it seems like all of these pieces have now come together here, just over two months later, with these three Americans who, when I met them, were in very dire straits in Pyongyang, unsure of what their future was going to hold. Whether they would be, perhaps in prison, perhaps in labor camps for years to come and yet, here they are now, one Jeffrey Fowle already back with his family in Ohio and Matthew Miller and Kenneth Bae on the way to be reunited with their families.

It's remarkable. But the North Korean government at that time, they took advantage of the fact that CNN was in the country, covering a completely different story. We made the request to speak with these detained Americans. We were told it would be impossible several times. And yet, as you said, we had very little notice. We were driven to this area. We spoke with them. And the North Korean government wanted to use these men to send a message to the United States government that they were ready to talk. And now, we have seen how that has all played out. Certainly, a lot at stake right now, politically, for North Korea. The timing, for a lot of different reasons, so it was right for them.

HARLOW: And we heard Governor Bill Richardson addressing that. You have this damning U.N. panel report coming out, talking about multiple instances of torture, within North Korea, et cetera, so that doesn't play well on the international stage.

At the same time, Will, one big concern has been Kenneth Bae's health. His family has reiterated that he has not been healthy while he's in this labor camp. You're the one most recently with him. What can you tell us about his health?

RIPLEY: Yes. I had only seen him on television, just like most of the world. And so, when I saw him in person, I was taken aback by how much weight he had lost. He was losing his hair. He had just gotten out of the hospital when we spoke. And he talked about his failing health, and the conditions in the labor camp where he was working. Obviously far better conditions than the ones laid out in that United Nations report, talking about torture and executions and people not having food for days. That was not the situation for Kenneth Bae or the other detained Americans.

But nonetheless, the grueling hours were taking a toll on his health. And it became apparent that his situation was getting more desperate. It could be that his health has continued to fail. We'll find out more once he's checked out by doctors in the United States. But perhaps North Korea saw this as a situation that could get worse. Certainly, they would not want to be in the position, with all of the scrutiny they're under, to have an American fall very ill or perhaps even worse in their custody.

HARLOW: Well, that is a very good pint, Will. It was fascinating to watch you interview them. And we are also glad that they're all now free men.

Thank you so much, Will Ripley, live for us from Tokyo.

Also this, a string of bombings rocking Baghdad.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

HARLOW: Coming up next, the details on the latest terror attacks and why the president is sending more U.S. troops to Iraq to fight ISIS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: In Baghdad, today, vivid reminders of the volatile situation that exists across Iraq.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

HARLOW: Those images of a Shiite neighborhood, rocked by a powerful pair of car bombs. Police say at least seven people died in this attack. A short time later, two more car bombs, elsewhere in the capital, claimed 11 lives. Nearly 50 people were wounded in those attacks today, alone. This, of course, comes against the backdrop of the violence that President Obama has authorized an additional 1,500 U.S. troops to Iraq. The Iraqi government says the deployment was quote "a little late but welcome." They have been asking for this as the president has said repeatedly U.S. soldiers will not, these troops will not be engaging in combat operations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The notion that the United States should be putting boots on the ground, I think would be a profound mistake.

These American forces will not have a combat mission. We will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq.

The American forces that had been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission.

I won't commit our troops to fighting another ground war in Iraq or in Syria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Or senior national correspondent Arwa Damon has more on what this increase in U.S. ground forces is supposed to accomplish.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The addition of 1,500 U.S. troops in Iraq almost doubles America's presence there. They are not meant to be in a combat role, but rather, continuing to advise and assist the Iraqi force and the Kurdish peshmerga. Also, providing America with critical increased eyes on the ground when it comes to coalition airstrikes. These troops are going to potentially be based, perhaps, in al-Anbar province, some of them, at least. And also, potentially, to the north and in two key areas where ISIS has significant control.

Al-Anbar province, especially critical and that it is predominantly Sunni. And in the past has historically been Al-Qaeda's key stomping ground. And when we look at Iraq's history, it was the Sunni tribes that allowed for the tide to turn against Al-Qaeda. And those Sunni tribes are going to be vital if ISIS is to, in fact, be defeated.

That's one of the main reasons why the U.S. and others are putting a lot of pressure on the Iraqi government led by Shia prime minister (INAUDIBLE), to reach out to those Sunni tribes who, at this stage, remain fairly weary of the government in Baghdad. But when we're talking about ISIS' long-term defeat, there is the realization that this cannot be achieved by military means alone. There has to be a significant political effort alongside it.

Arwa Damon, CNN, (INAUDIBLE), Turkey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Arwa, thank you for that.

And of course, the Pentagon coming out yesterday and saying, this is directly in line with their mission. Again, reiterating not boots on the ground, technically. These are advising forces for the Iraqi military. We'll be watching very closely.

And coming up next, a flurry of social media activity as Americans, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller, make their way back to U.S. soil. They are free men. Our Nick Valencia will look at what people are saying online about that.

Also, on this week's "PARTS UNKNOWN," Anthony Bourdain visits the place where he began his career. It is a fascinating one Massachusetts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, PARTS UNKNOWN: I hadn't been working for a while. I was a deadbeat. (INAUDIBLE) as everybody else. And he comes home from work and says our dishwasher didn't show up for work today. You're our new dishwasher. I said, really? The next day, I put on the apron and I didn't take it off for 30 years.

I'd wake up, with all of those go to the beach. Hang out on the beach until like 2:00, 3:00. Roll into work. Work all night. Drinking, getting high. Drilling out food. You got all of the food you wanted, all of the liquor you wanted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of the sex you wanted.

BOURDAIN: All of the sex you wanted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was fun. We had a great time.

BOURDAIN: And you were an essential part of the economy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was fun. I remember.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. Thanks so much for joining me. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And right now, there are no Americans detained in North Korea. That's after today's surprise release of two U.S. citizens. One of them held for two years. Matthew Todd Miller and Kenneth Bae are flying towards the west coast right now, after North Korean officials allowed them to leave. And sources tell CNN their release was initiated by the North Koreans, who requested basically talks of a high-level American official. U.S. Director of national intelligence James Clapper flew to Pyongyang. And now, the two men are free.

Also, a U.S. senator from Kenneth Bae's home state of Washington has been working very closely with his family, since his arrest two years ago. Senator Patty Murray wrote on twitter today quote "I'm thrilled Kenneth Bae is finally coming home. His amazing family has kept pressure on for a long two years and never lost faith." Senator Murray talked about the negotiations on CNN a short time ago. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. PATTY ,MURRAY (D), WASHINGTON: An amazing day for all of us that have been working on this, because of the persistence and the insistence and strength of Kenneth Bae's family, who have worked so hard for the last two years to make sure no one forgets Kenneth.

This is a case that we have -- he is from our state. It's a case we've been working on for a very long time. I have met with the family personally. His sister has -- Terri, has just been the most passionate, articulate person I have ever met. And have met with her and talked with her numerous times throughout this. And I think why we're here today is because Terri just would not give up and would not let any of us give up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Well, there have been a lot of other elected officials reacting to this news out of North Korea.

Vice president Joe Biden spoke out in the last hour. Our Nick Valencia is moderating that and a lot more.

Nick, we are seeing a flurry of people really, really happy and excited this has finally happened.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Lots of excitement stateside and beyond. You're hearing from elected officials in those states that those two Americans are from California and Washington. And the reaction is going all the way to the White House.

Vice president Biden taking to social media just a short time ago and putting up this tweet here. I want to read it to you. It says welcome home, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller. We're grateful for the tireless efforts of earn who helped them return to their families.

You talked to Senator Murray, Patty Murray a little while ago. And she said that she was thrilled about the release. We are hearing from other lawmakers, including Charlie Rangel, congressman from the state of New York, who just a couple of days ago, released a statement urging the North Korean government to release if two Americans. He tweeted a short time ago, as well, calling for the release, saying I'm pleased that North Korea did the right thing in releasing Kenneth Bae.

The state department also weighed in a short time after that news became official. Let's get to that tweet, guys. The state department says, welcomes the release of U.S. citizens, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller, from the DPRK. That's the tweet from the state department.

So many played a role in this. And also, I mentioned, Poppy, the Washington lawmakers that are taking to twitter on their social media pages, to congratulate the efforts to get these two Americans back home. We understand they're on their way back home. We heard from representative, so happy for Kenneth Bae and his family, who waited two, long years for this day to come. Welcome home.

And if you guys, you watching at home or listening, have any comment or reaction that you would like to share, you can tweet Poppy @POppyHarlowCNN or myself at CNNvalencia. And we'll try to get your tweets and comments on the air -- Poppy.

HARLOW: It's so good to hear they're coming home and to see all these reactions online.

All right. Thanks, Nick. Appreciate it.

VALENCIA: You bet it.

HARLOW: Coming up next, American Jeffrey Fowle was released a couple of weeks ago. Total surprise, Flew home free from North Korea. He talked to CNN exclusively. Hear what he had to say about the release of his fellow detainees.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: If you're just joining us, really good news for the two families who have been waiting for their loved ones to be released from potentially North Korea. Matthew Todd Miller and Kenneth Bae are on route right now to the U.S. after being detained in that reclusive country. Kenneth Bae had traveled to North Korea many times without incident before. He was arrested.

Our Paula Hancocks filed this report, just after he received a visit there from his mother.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An emotional embrace, for a son she feared she might lose. Myunghee Bae has been allowed to see her son, Kenneth, just once, during captivity in North Korea.

MYUNGBAE, KENNETH BAE'S MOTHER: My heartbreaks when I saw him with the hospital garment in a confined in a small space.

HANCOCKS: Bae who has been hospitalized, suffering from a number of illnesses, including diabetes, heart problems and back pain. The 44- year-old was arrested in November 2012. Bae was operating a tour group out of China, visiting North Korea well over a dozen times.

Tried and sentenced to 15 years hard labor the following spring, his official crime, hostile acts to bring down the government, and planning anti-North Korean religious activities. Bae was filmed admitting to these crimes from his prison cell.

KENNETH BAE, PRISONER FREED FROM NORTH KOREA (through translator): My wish is that the North Korean government grants me mercy. And the U.S. government will make more effort to help me return home as soon as possible.

HANCOCKS: A former missionary, Bae's Christian beliefs would not have been welcome in a country that's officially atheist. A website set up to lobby for Bae's release chose be as a father, a son and a brother, in every photo, he is smiling. A very different man seen here, working eight hours of hard labor a day for three months, before his health deteriorated and he was hospitalized.

TERRI CHUNG, KENNETH BAE'S SISTER: Kenneth is a father of three, an American citizen, who is there legally, working to provide for his family as a tour operator. He had no ill-intentions ever. And he is definitely not tried to overthrow the government.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: That's Paula Hancocks reporting from Seoul, South Korea.

Well, it's difficult for anyone to imagine what it must be like to be incarcerated, detained in North Korea, cut from your family or friends, everything. And you don't know how long it is going to be. But Jeffrey Fowle was living that nightmare with little hope of coming home, until just over two weeks ago. Then, unexpectedly, he was freed.

He spoke with our Pamela Brown, today, by phone, about this surprise release of his fellow detainees, the two Americans, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFFREY FOWLE, FORMER NORTH KOREAN PRISONER: I'm sure they're elated at the prospects of being reunited, coming home, getting back to things American here. I'm just happy. There's a lot of emotions going through their mind. That happened to me three weeks ago.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: 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. Never had 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: Yes. I didn't realize I was getting released until a half an hour before we took off. It was -- hit like a ton of bricks.

BROWN: Wow. 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 they would be on the plane, as well. But I got there, and they said I was the only one coming home. And I was upset by that. I was happy. But I was upset they weren't coming with me. I was the last one to be detained. Kenneth Bae or Matthew Miller should have been released before I was. I'm glad to hear that they are on their way home now.

BROWN: One of the big questions when you're released like this, 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 able to get my job back at (INAUDIBLE). I was terminated back in September. But the city I work for has reinstated me, fortunately. I'm grateful for that. So, the things are falling back into place pretty well for me.

Kenneth Bae's been gone two years now. And it might be more difficult for him. Since he was living in China before his ordeal. So I'm not sure what his reentry procedure or Matthew Miller's, for that matter, will be like.

BROWN: What advice would you give them, Jeffrey?

FOWLE: Well, if someone asked me back a couple weeks ago, I'm doing everything telling me to keep the faith. That's what got me through my ordeal of six months. Not lose faith in God. And have faith I will eventually 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 the right path air force base. And it was great being reunited with them after a long separation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Wow. They are all now going to be home. Coming up next in the NEWSROOM, President Obama picks Loretta Lynch to

serve as the next attorney general. Will her confirmation turn into another battle between Democrats and Republicans? We'll see.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: If all goes as the Obama administration hopes Loretta Lynch will become the first African-American woman to run the justice department. In making today's announcement, President Obama explained why he picked her to replace Eric Holder as attorney general.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Loretta might be the only lawyer in America who battles mobsters and drug lords and terrorists and still has the reputation for being a charming people person. And that's probably because Loretta doesn't look to make headlines. She looks to make a difference. She's not about splash. She's about substance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Let's get a closer look at who Loretta Lynch of is, her qualifications for this high profile post.

Erin McPike joins us live from the White House.

Erin, it's interesting because a lot of people are saying that this is really a noncontroversial pick. That she should smooth saily through the Senate confirmation at the same time you've got this lame duck session and you've got Republicans like Ted Cruz saying this confirmation should wait until the new Congress is sworn in.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, first we should point out that Loretta Lynch of has twice been confirmed by the Senate. That was in 2000 and 2010 to be U.S. attorney in New York. But I want to play for you a little bit of what she said this morning when President Obama announced her as his pick to be the next attorney general. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORETTA LYNCH, NOMINATED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL: Mr. President, thank you, again, for the faith that you've 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)

MCPIKE: As you mentioned, also Republicans are saying they want to wait until the new Congress convenes in January before they begin to hold confirmation hearings and then hold that vote. But the Obama administration does believe that she will make it through very quickly, and Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz and others are saying, please wait. We'll have to see what they do. But, of course, President Obama is headed tonight to Asia and it may be next year before this confirmation vote is held.

HARLOW: Yes. We'll see. You know, Erin, I want to talk a little bit about who this woman is. You know, she has been lauded as incredibly successful in fighting everyone from gang members to drug lords to taking on the big banks here in New York. She went to Harvard law school. Harvard undergrad. What more do we know about her?

MCPIKE: Well, one of the things that President Obama said today as he was announcing her, he talked about prosecuting terrorists and also her work in the prosecution of cybercrimes. All of these things will be important. If she is confirmed as attorney general, she does have long relationships within the justice department, and that will be important since she is a Washington outsider to come in to the justice department and be able to work with attorneys throughout the country and all of the staffers at the justice department in these final two years of the Obama administration.

HARLOW: And she may jump right into the very high profile civil rights investigation in Ferguson, Missouri, in the killing of Michael Brown, and that will be interesting to watch as well if she is confirmed.

Erin McPike, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

Coming up next we are going to introduce you to one of the CNN heroes who is putting a song in the hearts of some very deserving people.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Each week we're shining a spotlight on the top ten CNN Heroes of 2014 as you vote for the one that inspires you the most. We want you to meet Arthur Bloom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

ARTHUR BLOOM, CNN HERO: Music is my earliest memory. I never decided to be a professional musician. It's just what I've always done.

(MUSIC)

BLOOM: It feels great to play music but it's also a mechanism for healing.

(MUSIC)

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

BLOOM: Let's take it right before the melody.

(MUSIC)

BLOOM: Our organization helps wounded warriors play music and recover their lives.

(MUSIC)

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

We are going to try incorporate among them on that all. I'm not musical therapist. I'm a musician. By injecting music into the space, we can inject life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something survive that horrible injury in Afghanistan and that was my goal is play the guitar.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Arthur and his program changed my outlook on what is prospect (ph).

(SINGING)

BLOOM: Music has no stigma. Folks we work with, when they do music, there is nothing injured about the way to do it. It is just good music.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Remember to vote for CNN hero of the year.

Right, coming up, new developments on the release of Americans Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller released from detention in North Korea. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now.