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Rescuing Mueller; Peace Talks for Ukraine; Netanyahu Sparks Political Fight; Houthis Rebels Seize U.S. Embassy Vehicles in Yemen; Jon Stewart to Leave "Daily Show"

Aired February 11, 2015 - 09:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

A risky expedition that missed saving Kayla Mueller by just a few days. That's how President Obama summed up an operation he deployed to rescue Mueller and others held captive by ISIS in Syria. But that operation, the details of which was not disclosed, was apparently not the only attempt to free Mueller.

Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar's district includes the Mueller family home tells CNN that a different strategy was also on the table.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Did her family consider paying it? Did the administration guide them one way or the other?

REP. PAUL GOSAR (R), ARIZONA: I don't know what the deliberations, Jake, were between the White House and the Muellers, because I do know that it was not just financial, there was a political prisoner that was convicted in the United States for 86 years for conspiring with the enemy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Joining me now to talk about this, John McGuire who spent ten years as a Navy SEAL.

Welcome, sir.

JOHN MCGUIRE, FORMER NAVY SEAL, SEAL TEAM 6: Hey, good morning, Carol. Thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: Thanks for being here. We appreciate it.

We now know there were rescue attempts, right, and they failed by just a few days. We're used to watching shows like "24" and Jack Bauer go in and save the day. But it's not quite that simple, is it?

MCGUIRE: Well, that's Hollywood, you know. Good intel on the ground is a -- it's a difficult job and it takes a team. And it's not easy. That's why not everybody can do those type of things.

COSTELLO: So, what would a rescue mission look like?

MCGUIRE: Well, you know, it's -- requires a lot of planning and a lot of people on the ground. And, you know, I was a Navy SEAL, so we can talk about that. Everybody talks about Navy SEALs and the success we've had, but really it's the Army, Navy, Air Force and, you know, people back home and analysts, it's an entire team. It's a lot of preparation, a lot of sacrifice. It's a lot of work.

COSTELLO: And it's a very dangerous mission for the troops, right?

MCGUIRE: Certainly. You know, I've said before on CNN, you know, the men and women who sacrifice for freedom and to rescue folks realize some things are more important than fear. And I've said it before, every American's important and, you know, our hearts go out to Kayla's family and all innocent people who are impacted by this terrorism.

COSTELLO: Do you think that the United States should pay ransom to ISIS to release prisoners?

MCGUIRE: You know, I really don't think so because if you do, it becomes an open season. You know it's just like five high level terrorist leaders exchanged for a deserter, it just emboldens the enemy and tells them that it works and they're going to look for more opportunities to find their terror.

COSTELLO: So is the only answer that humanitarian aid workers not go to places like Syria to help those desperately in need?

MCGUIRE: You know, she certainly -- and I think as we find out more about Kayla, we'll find out she's an amazing person. I have to say something about her parents in that they raised a selfless child, not a selfish child, and she risked her life to help others. She sounds like an amazing person.

COSTELLO: But, again, I ask you that very difficult question, is it time for westerners to stop going to that part of the world?

MCGUIRE: You know, you know, I'd hate to say that, but it certainly is dangerous and we need to make sure people are aware of what they're getting into. I don't think -- you know, you probably wouldn't want your daughter to go in that part of the world right now.

COSTELLO: Right. You're absolutely right. But I'm with you, Kayla was an awesome person, and her heart was in the right place. You know, she just went to Syria and she was captured while leaving a Doctors Without Borders hospital and things devolved from there.

MCGUIRE: Right.

COSTELLO: John McGuire, thanks so much for your insight. I appreciate it.

MCGUIRE: Thank you for having me. COSTELLO: And I did want to read you another portion of Kayla's letter that she wrote while in captivity. It emphasizes her strong will and her tremendous courage. Quote, "none of us could have known it would be this long, but I know I am also fighting for my side in ways I am able. Plus, I have a lot of fight left inside me. I am not breaking down. Plus, I will not give in, no matter how long it takes.

The thought of your pain is the source of my own. Simultaneously, the hope of our reunion is my strength. Please be patient. Give your pain to God. I know you would want me to remain strong. That is exactly what I am doing. Do not fear for me. Continue to pray as I will. Plus, by God's will, we will be together soon. All my everything, Kayla."

I'll be right back.

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COSTELLO: The U.S. Army says it will send soldiers to train the Ukrainian National Guard next month. This as the possibility of peace in Ukraine rests on high level summit talks that are just about to begin. The leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine, along with separatist groups, will meet in Belarus to hammer out a cease-fire. If there is no deal, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says he's ready to introduce martial law throughout the country.

Peace can't come soon enough. This is what's left of the central bus station in Donetsk. Four people were killed when the station and two buses were hit by shelling. So let's talk about this with Matthew Rojansky. He's an expert on Ukraine and Russia. He's the director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center.

Good morning, sir.

MATTHEW ROJANSKY, RUSSIAN/UKRAINIAN EXPERT: Good morning, Carol. Thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: Thanks for being here. Do you expect there to be a cease- fire to come out of these talks?

ROJANSKY: Well, I'm hoping for a cease-fire. What I definitely don't expect is a comprehensive peace settlement. The problem at this moment is that the actual lines of control on the ground have shifted dramatically. So the framework cease-fire that we had from Minsk in September is in many senses no longer relevant. The separatists have captured so much more territory, including critical points like the Donetsk Airport. The control the entire city of Donetsk at this point. And they're pushing the Ukrainian forces largely out of this (INAUDIBLE) junction, which is a railroad and highway junction that's absolutely vital for supplying forces on both sides up and down the line of control.

The Ukrainian position, I think, isn't realistic. They're saying, we need to go back to the cease-fire lines of September, which would basically mean that the separatists pull back from all the territory they've gained. I think that's the thing at this point that could torpedo a cease-fire agreement coming out of Minsk. COSTELLO: So, let's talk about a possible peace deal because there

doesn't seem to be much hope in that. I mean have things progressed too far for any sort of peace deal?

ROJANSKY: Well, in the broadest sense, we have a real deficit of trust between Russia and the west. The perception on the Russian side is that Ukraine is just one more brick in the wall of the west trying to expand NATO, trying to hem Russia in, surround Russia, cut it off at the knees, weaken it and ultimately pursue a regime change strategy to get rid of Putin in Russia, you know, the perception being just as we have done in many other countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere.

Obviously from the western side and from the Ukrainian side, the perception is that this is out and out Russian aggression, utterly unjustified. The Ukrainians removed a corrupt leader and now they've simply been invaded. So there's a huge gap in perception about what's going on here. Unfortunately, the publics on both sides are very much behind those absolutely diametrically opposed views. So the notion that the east and the west somehow are going to find common ground and move forward on a common vision of security and stability and prosperity for Ukraine, it seems very far off.

COSTELLO: So, along those lines, President Obama said yesterday that President Putin has to stop looking at the world through Cold War eyes. Is it possible that western leaders are negotiating with Putin in the wrong way?

ROJANSKY: Yes, I think that this dynamic of kind of labeling Putin as the problem, both as an individual and kind of Russia being a backwards country, a country that behaves in 19th century ways, a country that's acting like Nazi Germany and so on, it simply fuels the propaganda fires first of all within Russia itself. Putin has never been more popular. His popularity is pushing 90 percent, even though the economy is tanking. And that's because Russians are starting to feel that rally around the flag effect of fighting a defensive war against what they view as basically American-backed western aggression. And I think we have to be very careful that our rhetoric doesn't support that view.

But I think the second issue is, what are we actually communicating directly to the Russians? What is this off ramp that the White House has talked about so much? What exactly is the scenario by which the sanctions can be ratcheted back, by which the fighting can be stopped and de-escalated and Ukraine can return to a path of stability and normalcy? What we're not getting is a longer term vision for that. It seems to be mostly all or nothing, right? The Russians acknowledge that they're at fault, they pull back their forces, they give up territory and go back to the line of control that we had several months ago, which isn't realistic, and then everything can be OK. But, you know, as I say, that's not really a formula for reaching a cease- fire, let alone a bigger picture agreement.

COSTELLO: All right, Matthew Rojansky, thank you for your insight. I appreciate it.

ROJANSKY: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Still to come on the NEWSROOM, Benjamin Netanyahu is coming to America to address Congress. Why more and more Democrats plan to boycott the Israeli prime minister's speech. We'll talk about that next.

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COSTELLO: A major political fight is brewing on Capitol Hill right now. Next month Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington despite push back from the White House. The Israeli leader will deliver a controversial Iran-focused speech to Congress. He was invited by the House Speaker, the Republican John Boehner. But here's the thing: Boehner never consulted with the White House and many say the timing is inappropriate, just two weeks before the Israeli elections. But Mr. Netanyahu is not backing down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I'm going to the United States not because I seek a confrontation with the president, but because I must fulfill my obligation to speak up on a matter that affects the very survival of my country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Now the list of lawmakers threatening to boycott Netanyahu's speech is growing. Let's bring in CNN global affairs correspondent Elise Labott to tell us more. Good morning.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Well, the prime minister really doubling down in effect saying, listen, I don't want a confrontation with the president, but Congress has an important role to play in this Iran speech and I think that it's very important that I speak with them because obviously they'll have a role in terms of sanctions against Iran, things like that.

Now as you say, many Democrats have threatened to boycott. Others have said that they will attend. And we're hearing that Prime Minister Netanyahu may, you know, kind of back down a little bit, in effect, stopping short of a full congressional address, maybe doing something in closed session, maybe finding a way to placate the White House in some way.

He's also saying, listen, I do not have a personal disagreement with President Obama. He thanked President Obama and said he appreciated what the president has done for Israel in the past. But clearly, Carol, this prime minister has seen that if he's not getting what he wants from the White House, he's kind of willing to do an end run and go to Congress where he's very popular, and that's what he's decided to do even though obviously there is a lot of consternation at the White House, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Elise Labott, many thanks to you. I appreciate it.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

COSTELLO: Breaking news to tell you about. And I was just handed this urgent from our news desk. As you know, the U.S. embassy in Yemen was evacuated, right, and Houthi rebels took over the government there.

Well, now we've learned that the Houthi rebels have seized all U.S. embassy vehicles left at the airport in Sanaa, Yemen, by departing American diplomats and staff. Also, the Houthis who, as you probably know by now, they control the airport. They also did not allow dozens of departing U.S. Marines to take their weapons with them. The Houthis seized many of the Marines' weapons. The Marines also handed over some of their weapons to random airport officials.

Now this is all breaking right now. We're trying to get someone on the ground to tell us more. But, again, we expect the Houthi rebels in Yemen to soon take over that U.S. embassy building in Sanaa. We'll keep you posted on this. But very disturbing information coming out of Yemen at this hour. I'll be right back.

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COSTELLO: He made politics palatable for younger generations and his show became a necessary stop on the campaign trail for lawmakers courting their votes. But now Jon Stewart says it's time to step aside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": 17 years is the longest I have ever in my life held a job by 16 years and five months. Thank you. The upshot there being I am a terrible employee. But in my heart I know that it is time for someone else to have that opportunity. And -- no, no, no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And with that, Stewart broke the hearts of millions here in the United States and abroad. J.K. Rowling, the author behind the Harry Potter series, among those weighing in, tweeting, "Jon Stewart is leaving "The Daily Show", one of my favorite TV programs ever. That's major news to get over your morning tea. #britishgrief."

So let's talk about Jon Stewart's exit. CNN's senior media correspondent Brian Stelter is here and Chris Smith, he's also here. He's a contributing editor for "New York Magazine". Welcome to you both.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Thank you.

CHRIS SMITH, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, NEW YORK MAGAINZE: You're really making us follow Jon Stewart.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: I know. He's so funny. Well, I love him and hate him at the same time, I'll be honest with you. But, Brian, were you surprised at this news?

STELTER: By the timing I sure was. It came out of nowhere and some people speculated he was doing it to take some of the pressure off Brian Williams, who is he friendly with, and who's been under a lot of controversy as you were talking about earlier this hour.

Of course, an hour after Jon Stewart announced, Brian Williams was suspended. So if that was Stewart's strategy, it didn't work. But, really, Carol, I think this has been in the works for a long time. Stewart has been thinking about retiring from "The Daily Show" for years now. He's been dropping hints about it. And he said last night he's been a bit restless and the show deserves better than that. So it probably is the right time for him to step aside while he's still on top, still producing an excellent broadcast, and yet has time to say good-bye later this year.

COSTELLO: Well, Chris, you know, a lot of people are saying maybe Jon Stewart should take over Brian Williams' seat. Actually, Christiane Amanpour asked Jon Stewart about becoming a real newsman a couple months ago. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: In my mind, this is all chicken. I'm just making chicken. Sometimes I make a cutlet. Sometimes I make a nice teriyaki. Sometimes I grind it up and feed it to baby birds. But it's still chicken.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN HOST, "AMANPOUR": And do you think this chicken might decide to be a regular news anchor? I mean, a lot of --

STEWART: Regular news?

AMANPOUR: Yes, regular news.

STEWART: Like yourself? Like a real journalist?

AMANPOUR: Like myself.

STEWART: I would say no.

AMANPOUR: Like a "Meet the Press"?

STEWART: No, I would say no. That I don't believe is in danger of happening. That I can pretty confidently state that I will not have my own room of situations. That's just a room I came up with. A room of situations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So, Chris, do you believe him?

SMITH: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: I do, too.

SMITH: (INAUDIBLE) to Brian, when I interviewed Jon at length in October and November on the eve of his first feature film coming out, he walked right up to the line without saying he would be leaving sooner rather than later. He will not be replacing Brian Williams. He will not be running for office himself, which is a suggestion I've seen some people make.

He turned down NBC's overture about taking over "Meet The Press". But I don't think he's going to disappear from the political comedy landscape completely. He wants to have a voice in the conversation, somehow, some way. He may go and do standup like Jerry Seinfeld did after Seinfeld the show occasionally. But he's going to keep having a voice in this dialogue.

COSTELLO: Actually, Brian, I found it sad that some people were suggesting that Jon Stewart should replace Brian Williams, because that says something about the state of journalism today, doesn't it?

STELTER: It does. And there's also the idea that maybe Brian Williams could come over and replace Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show". There has been a lot of blurring of the lines. And I know that in some ways that can be disadvantageous. But it can also be beneficial in other ways, though, because it does engage young people in the political process. And I think some of the techniques that Jon Stewart uses for comedy can also be applied by news people for journalism, so there's some interesting back and forth sort of action that exists right there.

COSTELLO: So as far as who's going to take Jon Stewart's place, I'm voting for Samantha Bee, Chris Smith.

SMITH: She would be outstanding. I mean, another natural contender in some ways would be John Oliver, who is a "Daily Show" veteran who has gone over to HBO and now has his own successful show on Sundays. You wonder if he would want to come back and replace Jon Stewart, if that might be a step backwards in some ways.

But what's going to be interesting to me is how much of a vote Jon Stewart gets in this, how much Comedy Central decides who his successor will be and how much Jon has a say in it.

COSTELLO: We'll see.

STELTER: There's also a calculation, I think, about what kind of person politically because right now Jon Stewart has a very core liberal fan base. Most of his fans identify as liberal according to the Pew Research Center. Will they go for more of a moderate or will they go for someone who leans to the left like Stewart? We'll see.

COSTELLO: OK, I got to leave it there, guys. Thanks so much. Chris Smith, Brian Stelter, I appreciate it.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM after a break.

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