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Chaos in Yemen; Patriots Address Cheating Allegations

Aired January 22, 2015 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Here we go. Top of the hour. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Minutes from now, NFL quarterback, Tom Brady, will address the scandal surrounding the Patriots. Did they cheat by using underinflated balls in the playoff game? The head coach, Bill Belichick, saying he was absolutely shocked by these claims. We will take Tom Brady, speaking live within the hour, coming up.

But, first, we're following breaking news out of Yemen, where the government has just fallen and the U.S.-backed president has just resigned. The political crisis spiraling out of control right now, after Shiite rebels known as the Houthis took complete control of the presidential palace earlier this week. And now, as we mentioned, the top Yemeni government has just resigned.

That doesn't just include the president. That includes the prime minister and the entire Yemeni cabinet.

Let's go first to Jim Sciutto, our chief national security correspondent, who has the latest breaking news on this.

Jim, what are you learning?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, brace yourself, Brooke, because it's hard to follow here.

You have the president resigning. He says that those Houthi rebels demanded concessions he wasn't willing to give, including putting their people in key positions, defense, et cetera, currently held by his allies.

Now the parliament said it rejected the president's resignation and they want a special session tomorrow to discuss it. The next in line, however, is the speaker of the parliament. He's an ally of the previous president who had been pushed out a number of months ago, al- Saleh.

So this is Yemeni politics at its worst and a real sign of instability in a country that is an essential ally of the U.S. in the fight against AQAP there. Now, to further complicate matters, AQAP, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, is actually against the Houthi rebels that have taken over the capital.

You kind of have a triangulation of the various rivalries here. But you can't really call the Houthis a U.S. ally either because they say they're against U.S. intervention in the country and they're ally of Iran. It really -- none of these outcomes is great for the U.S., particularly instability.

BALDWIN: Instability is one word. Jim Sciutto, I was talking to two very smart people at the top of the last hour. And both of them said -- they called it chaos. It's complicated, but it's so, so important because as you hammered home Yemen has been a really important ally for the United States as far as giving them money and helping them in this war on terror.

My question to you then also as far as U.S. involvement, we know the U.S. has been considering this evacuation of hundreds of Americans at that U.S. Embassy, but thus far, they have not done that. Do you think, given this chaos, will that change?

SCIUTTO: They haven't made that call yet. But they have been prepared. They have prepared themselves to make that call.

You have two U.S. Navy warships off the coast prepared to do an aerial evacuation with helicopters, V-22 Ospreys. The preference is not having to take that step, if you decided to evacuate, to take commercial flights out. But there's still a question as to whether the roads from the capital to the airport are safe as well.

Again, if they make the call to evacuate, which they haven't yet, that would be their first preference. And then you go to a naval evacuation. They're not there yet. But trust me, the officials who are monitoring this, particularly with the experience of Benghazi, they are watching it very closely.

BALDWIN: Yes.

And then before I let you go, let me ask you about this number that is getting a lot of attention right now. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq giving a tally on exactly how many ISIS fighters have been killed so far. That number, he said 6,000. Is that -- some saying that's too high. What are you hearing?

SCIUTTO: It depends on who you talk to. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq says 6,000, confirmed with Central Command by our own Barbara Starr.

But Secretary Hagel, Defense Secretary Hagel just gave a press conference. I was there a short time ago. He cast doubt on the number and he said there's no way to verify it. In fact, he said from his experience in the Vietnam War, he says doing body counts is not a great measure of progress there.

He made the point in his own words we lost that war, describing Vietnam. Clearly, there's some discomfort inside the Pentagon with putting a hard number out there like this. I have talked to a Pentagon official that said that 6,000 sounds high to him.

Secretary Kerry going with the phrase thousands. I think it's probably safer to keep it in that category, rather than stick with the 6,000 number. That said, Brooke, the 6,000 number came from Central Command, it came from the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. From a U.S. perspective, there's something at least to back it up.

BALDWIN: Jim Sciutto, thank you so much in Washington with your latest reporting.

I want to continue here on our breaking news as far as what's happening right now in Yemen, as we get word Yemen's government is resigning, again, president, prime minister, the entire cabinet. U.S. officials are saying they're closely monitoring the situation right there, as were just talking to Jim about it, potentially evacuating the U.S. Embassy.

We have to wait and see.

Joining me now, Kimberly Dozier, CNN global affairs analyst and contributor for The Daily Beast.

Kim Dozier, I know you believe U.S. counterterrorism programs in Yemen have been underpowered. It's all unclear I guess at this point in time what's really happening on the ground in Yemen. But without a key government ally there, what can the U.S. do right now?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: What U.S. officials have always told me is every time in the past when there's been unrest like this, the Yemeni government and its counterterrorism forces, it has got narrow bandwidth. It can only deal with one crisis at a time.

While you have U.S. intelligence agencies and U.S. special operations forces operating from the U.S. Embassy and from the coast continuing to monitor al Qaeda and also continuing to monitor the safety of the embassy, right now, they don't really have the same attention from their partner, the Yemeni counterterrorism forces, because they're worried who's going to be on top today, tomorrow, what's going to happen next and, in that chaos, that al Qaeda suspects that the United States have been monitoring can find a seam and possibly disappear and have a little bit more freedom to operate.

BALDWIN: Also, too, when I think of Yemen, Kimberly, and you think of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, I think of U.S. drone strikes. What happens with those now?

DOZIER: Well, at this point, what you need for those drone strikes to carry out is a president firmly in power.

The last president, Saleh, the one who has just offered his resignation, Hadi, have both spoken publicly in favor of U.S. drone strikes, possibly to the detriment of their popularity among their own countrymen. But for those drone strikes to be carried out, some are flown from a base in Saudi Arabia. The military drone strikes that the U.S. runs are flown from Djibouti so that they can reach targets in the remote areas of Yemen.

But to reach those targets, they run every one of them past the Yemeni government for approval before taking the strike. If you don't have someone in charge right now, you don't have someone who can say, yes, that's a valid target. We agree. Take the hit. You also don't want to hit someone right now and possibly cause

collateral damage that could further damage your ally who is struggling to maintain power -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Seems to me no power at the moment without a president, prime minister and cabinet. Kim Dozier, we're going to watch this. Kim Dozier on Yemen, thank you very much.

Let's talk now about this brutal deadline hanging over Japan, because the race is on there to save these two hostages being help captive by ISIS. They may have just a few hours left to live.

This deadly countdown began with this video, the scene absolutely no one wanted to see again, Jihadi John, ISIS' hooded killer, putting his knife to the throats of these Japanese men and putting a $200 million price tag on their lives.

In the video, the terrorist group says Japan has until just after midnight Eastern time tonight to pay that ransom. The Japanese government we're told working very hard to establish contact with ISIS, but thus far no such luck.

Just ahead here on CNN, live during the show, we're expecting quarterback of the New England Patriots Tom Brady to address the scandal involving his team and those deflated balls. Did they cheat? We will tell you what his coach has just said today and which legendary quarterback says Brady had to have known.

Plus, a man is found dead floating in the water and his wife accused of having an affair with a Navy commander at Gitmo -- those new details in this mystery ahead. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right. Here we go. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

We're less than two weeks from the big, big game, NFL's Super Bowl XLIX, and, of course, the controversy surrounding whether the New England Patriots used deflated footballs in last Sunday's AFC championship is not going away.

Minutes from now, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will be speaking live, addressing all of this. We will take that for you as soon as we see him step behind that podium. But I can tell you this. Today, we heard from his coach, Bill Belichick. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL BELICHICK, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS HEAD COACH: When I came in Monday morning, I was shocked to learn of the news reports about the footballs.

I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation until Monday morning. I would say I have learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew or have talked about it in the last 40 years that I have coached in this league.

The National Football League is investigating this situation. We have cooperated fully, quickly and completely with every request that they have made, continue to be cooperative in any way that we can. I have no explanation for what happened.

In my entire coaching career I have never talked to any player, staff member about football air pressure. That is not a subject that I have ever brought up. To me, the footballs are approved by the league and game officials pregame, and we play with what's out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: As I mentioned, as soon as Tom Brady talks, we will take him live, but definitely some of his teammates are speaking out. Here they are.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Do you have a faith that the golden boy quarterback, Tom Brady, had nothing to do with this?

(LAUGHTER)

LEGARRETTE BLOUNT, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Man, like I said, man, we practice with worst balls than the ones that we have played with.

So, I mean, it really doesn't affect any of us. We are going to continue to keep our focus on Seattle. Everything in life isn't fair. And everything has something going one way or another so. You know, I feel like Bill is going to handle it well. I feel like Tom is going to handle it well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's talk about this, shall we?

Rachel Nichols, CNN Sports, she has reaction also from Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. Kate Fagan is here with me, a columnist with ESPNW and a former college athlete. And Boston's Tim Benz, WEEI Sports Radio host, who interviewed Brady right after reports leaked about this NFL investigation.

Welcome to all of you.

TIM BENZ, WEEI: How you doing?

BALDWIN: I'm doing all right.

Let me just kick things off. I want to hear from all of you off the top, Rachel Nichols, beginning with you. We're waiting and watching for Tom Brady to speak. What does he say?

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, the pressure is on Tom Brady and it's been on Tom Brady all week. WEEI talked to him Monday in his regular radio segment and he laughed

this off. He called it ridiculous. But the reason why balls are a certain way during a football game are because of the quarterback. They can be scuffed up. That's within the league rules, that waxy stuff taken off them. Teams can soak them all week so that they're a little bit less susceptible to rain during a game. That's within the rules.

When you hear players and quarterbacks say, hey, you know what, we do things and doctor balls all the time, there's a whole list of things that are within NFL rules.

What is not within NFL rules is letting the air pressure out, because it significantly changes the way you can handle the ball. And there's no question that certain quarterbacks would love to have a little bit less air pressure. In fact, it was on WEEI just a few years ago that Tom was making a statement that he likes the balls a little bit less inflated, he likes deflated footballs.

We know that's his preference. And according to an NBC report, he also mentioned that to the team in the locker room today. I want you to take a listen to what his coach, Bill Belichick, had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BELICHICK: I think we all know that quarterbacks, kickers, specialists have certain preferences on footballs. They know a lot more about it than I do. They're a lot more sensitive to it than I am.

Tom's personal preferences on his ball -- footballs are something he that can take about in much better detail and information than I could possibly provide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOLS: Brooke, I want you to think about one thing. The rules used to be that the home team provided footballs for both offenses.

Guess who in 2006 successfully lobbied the NFL owners...

BALDWIN: Mr. Brady

NICHOLS: ... to change the rule, to have the offenses bring their own footballs? Tom Brady, along with Peyton Manning.

BALDWIN: OK.

On that, Tim, I have to go to you, because, A, we're talking a lot about your radio show and your radio station and the awesome work you guys have done. You did talk to Tom Brady after this whole thing leaked.

Let me just pause and read something. I don't know if you saw what legendary quarterback Troy Aikman said. I want to get your reaction to this and what Tom said to you. Aikman said this to "Dallas Morning News." "It is obvious that Tom Brady had something to do with this. I know going back to when I played, the home team provided all the balls. And now each team brings their footballs the way they like them. So, for the balls to be deflated, that doesn't happen unless the quarterback wants that to happen. I can assure you of that."

You talked to Tom Brady. What did he say?

BENZ: Well, just to clarify, that was our morning show, "Dennis & Callahan," that talked to Tom Brady.

But, yes, I have heard and we have all heard the clip numerous times. He laughed off the suggestion that the balls had air let out of them, kind of dismissed it. There wasn't a straight-up flat-out denial from anybody within the team over the first couple of days.

It was just sort of sloughed off, it's not that big of a deal, and kind of ignored. I have a hard time believing what Bill Belichick said today, which is that by on Monday morning, or on Monday morning, that was the first time he's ever heard of this.

You have to wonder a little bit, especially with that delay in the third quarter in the football game, when the referees were taking one ball out and put another ball out there. And you heard from our radio station that, at halftime, they had to make sure all the backup balls were pumped up to specifications, because at some point during halftime it was the Colts that wanted the balls taken out to be tested.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: But I just have to jump in. I just have to go back to Troy Aikman saying that Tom Brady, any quarterback would have known, they would have known about the deflated balls. Can you respond to that?

BENZ: If Brady knew about the deflated balls?

The quarterbacks say that they like very specific feeling.

BALDWIN: And we lost him.

But we have Kate, because she's sitting next to me.

And I know you have been saying this whole thing, and I know a lot agree with you, say this is ridiculous.

KATE FAGAN, ESPN: Yes.

BALDWIN: Why do you say that?

FAGAN: Well, I think it's surprising that the NFL, revenue of $6 billion a year, in its championship games, does not provide its own footballs.

They have allowed this to come into play because they let each team bring their own footballs. I know even if you look at the NCAA Tournament, they have very specific rules. They have a specific ball, and they guard the ball until a specific time. You're not allowed to leave the court with the ball.

They make sure the balls are to exact specifications. Obviously, that's not how the NFL works. I imagine, going forward, we might see something different with this rule, where the NFL will provide the footballs and they are going to make sure they're to the exact specifications.

I imagine we will hear Tom Brady, because he's already admitted that he likes a softer football -- that's what he prefers -- that he wanted them at the lowest possible end. Whether he actually says that he was OK with taking them below the rules are, I don't know. But right now we're talking about a $25,000 fine. And to put that in perspective, I mean...

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Could it be more, though, because it was Troy Aikman who was saying no, no, no, this should be a worst punishment that Bountygate with the Saints?

FAGAN: Right, which to me that's ridiculous, considering that was about taking hits out on other players.

(CROSSTALK)

FAGAN: That's a physical -- that's a problem with health of players top. So, to me, that's a ridiculous suggestion.

Certainly, they could go back in and dock the Patriots draft choices or up the punishment if they felt like it was premeditated breaking of rules, as opposed to they dropped them to the lowest level and then the cold and the weather deflated them further.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: It was 11 of the 12. I'm just saying. I'm just saying.

FAGAN: Exactly.

But, again, this is $25,000. And Marshawn Lynch was fined $100,000 for not talking to the media. This is chump change.

BALDWIN: Rachel Nichols, do you agree with that? What do you see? What is the punishment that could fit the, I don't know what you call it, crime, cheating, gamesmanship? What do you think?

NICHOLS: I think the punishment could go significantly higher because the Patriots do not get the benefit of the doubt because of the 2006 Spygate issue.

I also think that Kate is right. The NFL could control the balls in this situation better and they probably will going the footballs differently going forward. However, there's also an underlying issue here. Don't cheat. There's all kinds of ways to try to cheat the game. The NFL can only control so much of it. We don't know yet what the Patriots did or did not willingly do.

We may find out more today from Tom Brady. We may find out more from the NFL down the road. But how about teams just not try to cheat? Wouldn't that be great, instead of having to take all of these extra measures?

I sat down with Pete Carroll, the Seattle Seahawks coach. He's going to be facing the Patriots in the Super Bowl coming up. And I asked him about this. He of course didn't wanted to slam one of his fellow coaches or teammates. But he did bring up this idea that the NFL coaches are the stewards of protecting the rules. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOLS: How significant that if the Patriots are found to have participating in cheating in rules?

PETE CARROLL, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS HEAD COACH: Well, I don't know all of that answer right now. And I don't know about the circumstances, so it would be crazy for me to comment on it.

But we're trying to do things right, and we want to do things in the right way. And obviously the league and the league office are working to figure out what is right and let's stand for what's right. And when we make our mistakes, we admit to them and we fix the situation. And we send the message that that's the right way to do things. And so we will see what happens with this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOLS: And that's part of it too, Brooke. It's just this idea of, hey, you know what, let's try not to cheat the game, the integrity issue.

And there's a lot of people who come and say, you know what, they would have beaten the Colts anyway. He could have been carrying a beach ball across the line. That is likely true. But then it does beg the question, have they done this in other game where it's been closer? You have had other teams suddenly pipe up and say, you know what, we only lost our game to them won by a few points. What were they doing in that game?

And in the end, does it really matter? What matters is, you should play by the rules, right?

BALDWIN: And I guess we should tell that to many, many NFL teams.

Rachel Nichols and Kate Fagan and Tim Benz when we had you, thank you all very, very much.

Again, Tom Brady speaking on this momentarily. We will take it live very soon.

Coming up though next here on CNN, from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, this truly bizarre story involving a civilian death, a possible love affair and a top Naval officer. That is next. Plus, stunning dash cam videos show police with guns drawn pointed at

two men seated inside this car. The officer says, don't move. One man starts to get out of the car. What happened next is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A Navy commander at Guantanamo Bay accused of having an affair and the woman's husband has been found dead. An investigation is under way. But, right now, the Navy has relieved the commanding officer of the U.S. Naval station in Gitmo, in Cuba.

CNN national correspondent Jason Carroll is in Miami with much, much more on what is quite an unusual story here.

Jason, what is the Navy saying?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, yes, very unusual story when you get to some of the details about this, Brooke.

The Navy did release a statement about the fate of Captain John Nettleton. He is the man who is at the center of this investigation. He was the commanding officer at the Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay. He was not in charge of the detainees there.

Nettleton has been temporarily reassigned to a post in Jacksonville, Florida. Navy officials say he was relieved of duty yesterday with by his commander -- we have a quote from them on this -- they say, "due to loss of confidence in Nettleton's ability to command."

According to a military official, this all came about during an investigation into the death of a civilian who worked there at the base.