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Pentagon Denies Having Communications With Syrian President; Bobby Brown Calling Investigation Into His Daughter's Current State A Criminal Investigation

Aired February 10, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And so those costs may also mean obviously that those arms could go to Ukraine, despite the fact that chancellor Merkel, as we talked yesterday, is against that idea. The president may move forward with that step.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Big meeting tomorrow, as you mentioned. We'll watch for it then.

Jim Acosta at the White House with this phone call update. Appreciate that.

And I want to turn my attention back now to Syria and the question now today, is the United States coordinating with Syria in this fight against ISIS?

In this rare interview with the BBC, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad said the two sides do not communicate directly, but sometimes information is exchanged through a third-party government, such as Iraq. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: I'm curious that at a time when there are, those -- the American military in the air above Syria, and your people are in the air, your air force is also in -- the Syrian air force is in the air above Syria, there haven't been any incidents between the two. No shots seem to have been traded, no planes have been shot down. That suggests to me, surely, there's someone talking to someone here.

BASHAR AL-ASSAD, SYRIAN PRESIDENT: That's correct. But again, there's no direct cooperation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Direct. Is it via Iraq? That's what some people have said.

AL-ASSAD: That's through a third party, more than one party (INAUDIBLE) country. Sometimes they convey message, general message, but there's nothing tactical.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: And is that a continuing dialogue that you have through third parties?

AL-ASSAD: There's no dialogue. There's, let's say, information, but not dialogue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: President of Syria in a sit-down interview. And the Pentagon just responded to that moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REAR ADM. JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: This isn't a nudge, nudge, wink, wink. And I'm trying to parse words here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not nudge, nudging, wink, winking either.

KIRBY: We are not communicating directly or indirectly with the Assad regime on military matters. And I can only --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: OK. So the White House today also denying any coordination with the Assad government.

Let's go to our senior international correspondent, Arwa Damon from Istanbul, Turkey.

And Arwa, so you have the president of Syria, you know, acknowledging this indirect communication. You hear from the administration here and the Pentagon not at all happening. What do you make of that?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it's a very delicate situation on all sides. The U.S. does not want to seem as if it is in communication with a government whose president does want to see removed from power. But at the same time, as is evident and was evident from that interview, you have both American and Syrian fighter jets in the same air space. So presumably, there would have to be at least some level of information passing.

Now, President Bashar al-Assad is not saying that the U.S. is putting -- giving him direct tactical information. The U.S. is saying it's not disclosing any sort of specifics whatsoever. But Assad did also go on to say it's not just necessarily through Iraq but through other nations, that there are indirect sort of messages being passed.

This, again, is a very delicate situation for the United States. It's finding itself when it comes to Syria and whether or not it is communicating with the government of Bashar al-Assad. But also in Iraq where it's finding itself in this sort of uneasy allegiance when it comes to yet another key player in the region, and that is Iran. Because you also have Iranian advisers on the battlefield in Iraq. This is a battlefield that the U.S. at this stage is very heavily involved in, as we know quite well. So a very delicate situation all around at this stage. A lot of rhetoric being put forward. But again, behind the scenes, presumably a lot is also playing out, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Arwa Damon with the perspective, thank you as always. Just into us here at CNN, a new development in the investigation of

how Whitney Houston's daughter ended up face down in that bathtub. Not only is her father Bobby Brown calling this a criminal investigation, there's now word about bruises found on his daughter's chest.

Plus, when President Obama walked out for his inauguration back in 2009, he had some notes in his pocket. They weren't notes for a speech. They were actually written up in case of a terror attack. More on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: There are security concerns and then there are security concerns. Serious concerns apparently loomed over President Obama's first inauguration in 2009. We're now learning a former top aide to the president acknowledging he wrote a special script for the president to read just in case something happened. This revelation and all kinds of fascinating anecdotes now public in this new book by Obama confidant David Axelrod, who will be on Jake Tapper's show, I believe, tomorrow, Mr. Tapper.

Let's get a little preview here beginning with -- talk to me about these extra notes, extra script in the president's pocket.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: That's right. What happened was -- you may recall this, and our viewers as well. In January 2009, there were four Somali Americans who had gone for jihadi training allegedly and come back, and intelligence officials were very afraid they were going to target the inaugural. But this was top- secret information.

The homeland security secretary calls Rahm Emanuel, who was the incoming chief of staff. Rahm calls David Axelrod, says get on a hard line. I need you to write something. It is can't be something the speech writers know about. This is top secret. And it basically was plans for a disaster if a terrorist attacked the inaugural. The secret service would tell the president. The president would go -- the incoming president, Obama, would go up and basically instruct the crowd on how to disperse in a peaceful fashion.

So Axelrod wrote this, his heart pounding, the next day gives it to the president. The president doesn't even read it, tucks it into his jacket, and of course never has to read it, thankfully. And who knows where those remarks are today. But that was this strange bit of speech writing that thankfully was never shared with the American people.

BALDWIN: How bizarre. Maybe, thank goodness it never happened. Chuck, they will never have to use them again.

Then there was the bit about -- which this is really fascinating because I remember all the coverage about the president's, you know, stance on same-sex marriage and how he had said, you know, he really evolved. That was the president's words. But it sounds like, you know, David Axelrod is saying, he never actually evolved. He felt one way for a very long time.

TAPPER: What Axelrod says, the language is very interesting, is that he felt very strongly, Axelrod felt, that President Obama never opposed, never opposed same-sex marriage. But he also knew that he was way out in front of the American people on this issue in 2007, 2008.

So he, in Axelrod's language, compromised or modified his position. I remember asking then-candidate Obama about this, then-President Obama about this. Apparently this whole time he had a different view than the one he was sharing with me, but there's an interesting remark. The president saying to Axelrod, stumbling over the answer, because apparently every time he answered, it was difficult for him to do it because he was saying something that wasn't true about his own personal beliefs. And he said, the quote is "I'm just not very good at BS'ing, except to say BS'ing, but I'm not very good at BS'ing.

So for all those looking for whether or not President Obama lied or misrepresented, the term that the president used when it comes to his former opposition publicly to same-sex marriage is BS'ing.

BALDWIN: BS'ing, to quote him. All right, Tapper. We'll be looking for your David Axelrod interview for all these other nuggets and fascinating tidbits from this book. We'll watch you on "the LEAD," 4:00 p.m. eastern here on CNN.

Thank you, my friend.

TAPPER: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, just into us at CNN, a new development into the investigation of how Whitney Houston's daughter ended up face down in that bathtub. Why Bobby Brown is now calling this a criminal investigation, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Well, the daughter of Whitney Houston remains in the hospital.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the name of Jesus!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Nearly 300 people turned out for this public prayer vigil for Bobbi Kristina Brown near Atlanta. The 21-year-old has been unresponsive since being found face down in a bathtub now ten days ago. Just last night Brown's family asked for continued prayer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOMMY BROWN, BOBBY BROWN'S BROTHER: On behalf of Bobbi Kris, I know she thanks all of you all for your support and continued prayers for her recovery. And I would like to say, you know, continue, not just while you're here, just continue to pray for us all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And now to the developments new today in this investigation into how Bobbi Kristina Brown ended up in that bathtub. Alina Machado is outside Emory University hospital there in Atlanta.

Let's begin with the new details about these bruises that were on her chest. What was that from, Alina?

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, before we get to that, I just want to point out that Sissy Houston arrived here at the hospital just a little while ago. Bobbi Kristina's family continues to stay at her side. They are asking for prayers. And we are hearing from a friend of the 21-year-old who says that police have questioned Nick Gordon about some bruising on Bobbi Kristina's chest. Now, that friend told HLN's Nancy Grace that Nick said those bruises were the product of him performing CPR on Bobbi Kristina.

Police in this case have not said much On the Record, but we are hearing from a source with knowledge of the probe who tells CNN that the investigation is really focusing on anyone and everyone who was in the house the night before Bobbi Kristina was found. And that they're also talking to people who had contact with Nick Gordon.

Now, we have tried to reach out to Gordon. We tried to find him, tried to see if he has an attorney who's representing him, and so far, Brooke, we've been unsuccessful in tracking down that information.

BALDWIN: Also for the first time we're seeing the words criminal investigation. This is part of the statement from bobby brown's attorney. Tell me exactly what it said.

MACHADO: Well, that statement was pretty lengthy. In it, the family addressed the vigil, that prayer vigil you mentioned from yesterday. They expressed gratitude for all of the prayers.

The statement also addressed a few interesting things. It said there were false -- there are false reports out there. They called it egregious. I want to read part of that statement. It says, "the desire to be first has clouded the judgment of many reporters as they forego accuracy. This is a criminal investigation, and the integrity of that process requires silence."

The family again is asking for privacy. And the statement concluded by saying that God is hearing our prayers.

And Brooke, as you mentioned, the statement did make mention of a criminal investigation. This is the first time that we have heard the word criminal attached to this investigation, but we want to caution you and say this is coming from the family and not from police, Brooke.

BALDWIN: And all of this tomorrow marks three years to the day that Whitney Houston was found in that bathtub in that hotel in Beverly Hills. Alina Machado in Atlanta. Thank you, Alina.

And now to this. You know, we've all been there. You're cleaning out your closet, you find some old stuff you think you've forgotten about. Unless you're Neil Armstrong's wife, that stuff probably has not been to the moon. Let's take a look at some items not seen since Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

We're told the items were intended to be left on the moon, but Neil Armstrong carried them back with him and kept their existence a secret. So Allan Needell, I have been so excited to talk to you as a space geek here at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum where these artifacts are on display next to you.

But before we get to that, may I just say -- I mean, so Neil Armstrong had these mementos from the moon. He kept them in this white cloth bag, this purse, and never told anyone about them. Am I getting this right?

ALLAN NEEDELL, CURATOR, SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM: Pretty much. The purse was actually named that way because it was actually a piece of equipment among all of the equipment that was stowed on the lieu mar module, which took the astronauts to the moon.

Early on in the program in Apollo 9 when there was a first sort of test night of the lunar module, one of the astronauts, same exhibit, said, look, we're going to need a place to stow stuff in case we don't have time to put it back and we don't want it to drop on to the floor, get in our way. So they invented a white cloth bag and they called it temporary stowage bag. That's the way NASA names things or TSB. So all of the astronauts referred to it as McDivot's (ph) purse. It looks like a purse, sort of a clutch purse. It opens at the top. So that's a story in and of itself.

BALDWIN: OK.

NEEDELL: It gave the opportunity of Neil Armstrong when he was about to rejoin his colleagues Mike Collins in the command module to come home to go ahead and put a few souvenirs in that bag and then pass that bag along to Mike Collins. Of course, the most important thing was to pass along all of the rocks and samples and then soon cartridges which had the precious images taken on the mission. Those are the most important things. And there were very tight on how much space there was, but there was a little margin for error. And he figured that he could put a few pounds of sort of souvenirs into this bag and then stow it and then apparently he took it home with him and put it by and it is still.

BALDWIN: He took it home with him?

NEEDELL: His wife -- apparently.

BALDWIN: And so she finds these. Tell me what you have next to you.

NEEDELL: Well, these are just two items from about 17 items plus the bag that we now have on loan from the Armstrong family and that will be donated to the museum. This is a temporary gallery which is open here until June 8th. The whole process, they're doing space walks that what we called EVA, and that is Extra Vehicular Activity, which is the NASA logo for space walks.

And so two of the objects were sort of specifically relevant to space walking, one of them over here is this hook and ribbon device, and that's called a waist tether. What it is, is in case they had to do an emergency space walk, in case they couldn't hook back up to the command module and had to float from one to the other, they would need to hook something on to their space suits, hook another on to the hand hold on one spacecraft. When you're floating in space, you don't want to let go of one thing until you grab onto something else. You simply don't want to float away.

BALDWIN: We've seen "Gravity" most recently. I know what you're talking about, Allan.

NEEDELL: That's right, exactly.

BALDWIN: And so --

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Forgive me, June 8th. That's up until then, we can see this at the Air and Space museum where you are there in D.C.

NEEDELL: These two items, right. The other item is the camera that was mounted in the window, which took the incredible picture of them landing. If you remember its tranquility base here, the eagle has landed and the picture of sort of the shadow coming down and sort of the spacecraft shadow coming to rest. That was -- this is the camera which took those pictures.

Now, the cartridges go on the outside. And of course, the cartridge of film was returned back in 1969 and we've developed those f films a long time ago.

BALDWIN: It is absolutely incredible. Forgive my interruption. I could sit here and listen to you forever, but I do have to go.

Allan Needell at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, you may see my face appearing there before June 8th myself. Thank you so, so much for the time and the show and tell. I truly appreciate it.

NEEDELL: OK, thank you.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

Next, a family of four vanished from their home only to be found dead years later. The man who saw them last who claimed to be their friend is now the one accused in their murder. You'll hear from that man next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A family of four found buried in the desert three years after they went missing. Their friend and business partner is now charged with their deaths. Tonight at 9:00 here on CNN, we're looking into exactly what happened to the McStay family. The man accused of killing them spoke to CNN before he was charged, and it's pretty eerie to hear what he said about the case.

Here's Randi Kaye.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Early on, friend and business associate Chase Merritt was at the top of the list.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Detectives are taking a close look at Joseph McStay's business relationships.

KAYE: He spoke to us in his only television interview.

CHASE MERRITT, SUSPECT IN THE MCSTAY FAMILY MURDER: I was the last person who saw him so of course I was a person of interest.

KAYE: Did detectives ask you if you killed Joseph McStay and his family?

MERRITT: I don't recall them asking me that.

KAYE: Nothing that direct.

MERRITT: No. I don't recall them being that direct.

KAYE: You took a polygraph test. What did it show?

MERRITT: I don't know.

KAYE: You passed the polygraph.

MERRITT: Apparently. I mean, I haven't -- I kind of simply assumed, well, apparently that resolved any issues that they may be looking at with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Randi Kaye is here with a preview. And I mean, just watching him sitting across from you cool, calm, collected.

KAYE: Yes.

BALDWIN: Little did he know what he had in store.

KAYE: Absolutely. But the D.A., we spoke to him and he is so sure that they have the right guy.

First of all, some of the evidence, I mean, Chase Merritt, in our exclusive interview with him, told us that he was definitely the last person to see Joseph McStay. So you have to wonder about that.

He also lived at the time the family disappeared about 20 miles from where their remains were found four years later in the Mojave Desert. We know he was at the house. He told us he was the first person at the house where the D.A. believes that everybody, all four family members were killed. We know there may have been blood spatter there which he may have had time to clean up because authorities didn't go for about eleven days. They were alerted first -- first alerted to the home and the missing family 11 days later, didn't get a search warrant until three days after that. So a lot of evidence as well, Brooke, coming from the desert, a 100 pieces of evidence.

BALDWIN: Twenty seconds here. Does he have a good lawyer?

KAYE: He has himself apparently.

BALDWIN: Himself.

KAYE: Yes. He was represented and then just recently he decided to represent himself. He believes that he has congested heart failure, six to eight months to live. And he wants to get through this trial if it ever comes to that very quickly. And just to let you know, Patrick McStay, the grandfather in the case, told us, you know the old saying, he who represents himself has a fool for a client.

BALDWIN: How about that? Randi Kaye, we will be watching. Your special report is tonight called "Chasing a Killer, inside the McStay family murders" tonight 9:00 eastern here on CNN hosted by Randi Kaye.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so, so much for being with me here in New York on this Tuesday. We will send it to Washington D.C. to my colleague Jake Tapper.

"THE LEAD" starts right now.